THE GALWAY ISOLATION HOSPITAL

by Tom Kenny

The possible introduction of cholera and smallpox from abroad concerned the Government and so the Cholera Act of 1893 empowered sanitary authorities to enter lands for the construction of isolation hospitals

The Galway Port sanitary Authority was set up to manage Public Health matters in Galway Port, most especially to prevent infectious diseases that might be brought ashore from ships entering the port. The board consisted of 17 members elected from component local authorities and their jurisdiction extended from Golam Head in County Galway to Hag’s Head in County Clare together with the waters of Galway Bay.

In 1895, the board constructed a temporary building at Renmore Point on land owned by the Governors of Erasmus Smith Schools but leased to a Major John Wilson. In 1906, they wished to construct a permanent hospital there and a more formal lease was negotiated for 2 acres on the point just opposite the docks, with appropriate rights of way across the land. The lease was for 40 years at a nominal rental of £1 per annum.

The first caretaker was William Dolan who retired due to failing eyesight in 1914. He was succeeded by John Carroll until 1918 at which stage he was employed elsewhere --- his wife Mary then took over as caretaker until 1948.

Michael McNeill was elected chairman of the joint board on the 10^th of December 1902, and John Malachi Leech, who lived in Helen Street, was elected Clerk of the Board at the same meeting.

Leech informed the board in October 1907 that the old building had been completely destroyed by fire and the engineer advised that ‘the new building was now completed and that the contractor be paid the balance due on the contract’.

In early 1911, three sailors from South West Africa landed in Galway on a Norwegian barque “Ledia” and were admitted to the fever Hospital. The medical officers there said they were suffering from beri-beri, not fever and had them transferred to the Isolation Hospital. At the time, beri-beri was considered an infectious and highly lethal disease and Drs. Golden and McDonough considered they were a danger to the Union Hospital (as the workhouse was now known) and to the town. As it turned out, the three showed progressive improvement in the Intercepting Hospital thanks to a balanced diet. One left on a ship in May, another in June but the third remained on. He was eventually discharged by Dr. Sandys but could not find lodgings as people still suspected him of being infected. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and sent back to the Intercepting hospital where he remained at the expense of the Guardians who were upset at having to pay two nurses and a cook to look after him. It was felt he was suffering more from alcoholism than beri-beri. After some months, the beri-beri man, as he became known, was got rid of on a ship that was leaving the docks short-handed.

The hospital had 20 beds but fortunately was never needed for its primary purpose. The trio of sailors were the only patients ever to use the facility. In 1918 it was considered as a suitable location for soldiers returning from abroad with infectious diseases but this did not prove necessary.

In December 1920, the hospital was commandeered by the military authorities and vacated on the 26^th of March, 1921. It was taken over again on January 26^th, 1922 and handed over on the 5^th of March that year.

In March 1931, Thomas Cantwell reported from the Sanitary Sub-office that ‘he had inspected ten ships from July to December 1930, and the destruction of a parrot under the Importation of Parrots Order’.

The board was reconstituted in 1932 given that the rural district councils had ceased to exist since 1925, from then on it was made up of 8 members of Galway Urban Council, 7 from Galway County Council and 2 from Clare County Council.

The hospital was closed in 1948 and gradually fell into disuse, except for homeless people squatting there. It was burned down in 1966 and became a roofless ruin.

Our photograph shows Jim and Martin Fleming returning from the Lighthouse in their traditional boat in 1951. The Isolation hospital can be seen in the background. The second image is of the ruins of the hospital and dates from the 1970s. Most of the above information is taken from James Murray’s wonderful book, “Galway, a Medico Social History.