St. Monica's Asylum for the Blind, Infirmary Road, Cork

[Mary G]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone can direct me to a general history or more on St. Monica's Home for the Blind tha used to be on Infirmary Road, Cork.
There appears to be very little information on it.
I have checked out the Archives Office in Cork, but their records are very limited, I think beginning 1908.
But does anyone know, who ran it and when it began and ended, etc.  Was it part of the Cork Workhouse, which had part of it in the Victoria hospital, which was next door to St. Monica's.

Thank you for any help that you can offer,

Mary

[aghadowey]

Nothing mentioned on Cork Workhouse page-
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Cork/

Lovely old photo of basket making-
http://www.photosales.eecho.ie/v/photos/74373pks/1104806610

Bit of history here

Article from 2011 says "In 1983 Dr Pillay purchased the building on the site of the old St Monica’s Home for the Blind at Infirmary Road, adjacent to the South Infirmary."

The 1901 and 1911 census records will list the superintendent, etc.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

[dathai]

1901
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cork/Cork_Urban_No__5/Infirmary_Road/1115187/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000529464/

1911
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Cork_No__5_Urban__part_of_/Infirmary_Road/399197/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001890262/

[aghadowey]

Have you tried searching the Cork directories for details?
http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/places/streetandtradedirectories/

[Mary G]

Nothing mentioned on Cork Workhouse page-
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Cork/

Lovely old photo of basket making-
http://www.photosales.eecho.ie/v/photos/74373pks/1104806610

Bit of history here

Article from 2011 says "In 1983 Dr Pillay purchased the building on the site of the old St Monica’s Home for the Blind at Infirmary Road, adjacent to the South Infirmary."

The 1901 and 1911 census records will list the superintendent, etc.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

Thank you for your suggestions.

[Mary G]

1901
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cork/Cork_Urban_No__5/Infirmary_Road/1115187/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000529464/

1911
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Cork_No__5_Urban__part_of_/Infirmary_Road/399197/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001890262/

Thank you so much.

[Enkjcjmt]

Hi, I don’t know whether this will be of use to you, but I recently found the attached document among ones belonging to an ancestor of mine from Cork. The document is a letter sent from what was then called ‘County and City of Cork Asylum for the Blind’ on Infirmary Road in Feb 1864. At the bottom it gives the name of the secretary and Committee members at the time.

[Kiltaglassan]

'Asylum for the Blind’
Infirmary Road
Cork

From OSi National Townland and Historical Map Viewer.
MapGenie 25 Inch [1887-1913] (in Basemap Gallery).

https://arcg.is/jvOCW0

[Mary G]

Hi, I don’t know whether this will be of use to you, but I recently found the attached document among ones belonging to an ancestor of mine from Cork. The document is a letter sent from what was then called ‘County and City of Cork Asylum for the Blind’ on Infirmary Road in Feb 1864. At the bottom it gives the name of the secretary and Committee members at the time.

Thank you so much.   

That really gives an insight into the financial side of the running of The Blind Asylum, but also that it was open daily.   I know that baskets were made there and sold to subsidise the upkeep of the institution.

Thank you again.....I so appreciate it.