Grangegorman Histories FOUNDATION DOCUMENT Grangegorman Histories: a Public History Project

7 — Foreword 9 — About Grangegorman Histories 13 — A Brief History 19 — Founding Partners 27 — Funding 29 — Governance 35 — Implementation Plan

Contents foreword

This Foundation Document sets people who have gone before us. out the mission, vision and values But now we are established we informing our activities, the anticipate future developments will historical context, the founding be rapid and far-reaching. You are partners, funding, essential encouraged to study the document governance matters and – finally and to consider ways in which you – the implementation plan for the can engage with us – for your own three years of the Grangegorman benefit and for the benefit of others. Histories project. This is a working document and the The Grangegorman Histories Expert project will continue to evolve. The Working Group (GHWG) is made implementation plan, therefore, may up of representatives of our partners be considered indicative only. and experts in areas relevant to our work. We have an oversight and I look forward to collaborating with management role. you all to achieve our aims.

It has taken time for the Dr Philip Cohen Grangegorman Histories project to Chair, Grangegorman Histories reach this stage. We acknowledge Expert Working Group the work of the many dedicated May 2020

– 7 about Grangegorman Histories

In the past 250 years, Grangegorman Strategic Plan Grangegorman has been the site of of 2011 made provision for the a workhouse, a hospital, a prison development of historical research and now it is to be integrated into this significant site. The into the city as a health and Grangegorman Development education campus. The buildings Agency and the Royal Irish of Grangegorman stand as Academy will lead this public architectural monuments to that history programme of research past and its complex histories. and shared discovery. This diverse programme of events, publications The Grangegorman Development and learning opportunities will help Agency Act of 2005 and to uncover the history of the site

– 9 and surrounding communities. The Mission Grangegorman Histories Expert Working Group has been appointed Grangegorman Histories will to realise the programme. provide a series of opportunities to contribute to the important work Throughout this document of uncovering, cataloguing and and within the context of the commemorating programme, original language and the eventful history of this site and terminology from the past and the surrounding area. from various archives and reports are maintained, except where Vision explicitly indicated otherwise. This reflects an attempt to remain We will stimulate awareness of faithful to historical sources and the multi-faceted histories of does not reflect an endorsement of the Grangegorman area and the broader use of such terminology will support the creation of an in contemporary settings. ambitious, wide-ranging and challenging programme that will benefit local, national and international stakeholders.

– 10 Values

:Te Project will be

• Comprehensive, embracing • Transformative, fostering multiple aspects of the area’s understanding of difference to history build a better society

• Relevant, acknowledging • Pluralist, reaching out to local, the complex nature of our national and international past to help to destigmatise stakeholders mental illness and institutional confinement • Accessible, ensuring its activities are open to all • Respectful, recognising the sometimes-distressing nature of • Inspirational, stimulating active personal stories research and opening minds through education

– 11

A brief history

The Grangegorman area was in a trading route to the west, with agricultural use until the expansion its terminal at Broadstone. The of Dublin in the 18th century. Midland Great Western Railway Since then, it has been the site of Company purchased the canal in immense human activity, which 1845 in order to construct a railway frequently implemented ideas that alongside and its terminus building were radical at the time. at Broadstone was completed in 1850. In the 1760s the North Circular Road was laid out, enclosing the In 1772 legislation was introduced site inside urban Dublin. In 1810 in Ireland which radically changed the Royal Canal was operating as the system of ‘managing’ the poor

– 13 and orphans. In 1773 the Dublin a high quality of accommodation House of Industry was built in the and environment was maintained south-east quarter of the site (the for these patients. By the 1820s, greater part of it on what is now however, changes in legislation the location of the Legion of Mary led to overcrowding and to the hostel). The House of Industry reception of patients deemed by the was an institution for the relief of courts of the time to be ‘criminally the poor in the County of Dublin. insane’. It became the Poorhouse for the county and included sections used TheRichmond Penitentiary (now as asylums for the ‘aged, infirm, the ‘Clock Tower’) was constructed homeless children’ and others. in 1820, immediately to the north of the asylum. The building held The Richmond Lunatic Asylum (now both male and female offenders, the the ‘Lower House’) was one of the first prison in Ireland to emphasise first public psychiatric hospitals reform and ‘moral management’ of in Ireland, built immediately to prisoners rather than punishment. the west of the Poorhouse and In 1832 it was taken over for an opened in 1814. It was named extended period for use as a cholera after the Duke of Richmond, Lord hospital and saw particularly heavy Lieutenant of Ireland. The asylum usage during the epidemic of that aimed to deal with patients whose time. In 1836 the penitentiary mental illnesses were considered to became the Grangegorman Female be treatable and, in the early years, Penitentiary, the first exclusively

– 14 A: Airing yard T: toilet Y: yard

Architectural drawing of the Richmond General Penitentiary by Francis Johnston (1811) female prison in Great Britain typhoid and beriberi outbreaks and and Ireland. This was used as the was never returned to prison use. Grangegorman Transportation The last patients were removed in Depot between 1840 and the the 1930s and the buildings mostly 1880s, when over 3,200 women demolished over the next few and children were held there on decades. their way to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania). In the 1860s the By 1836 the lands to the west of penitentiary was extended and Grangegorman Lane were in use as improved. It was again taken over recreational gardens for the benefit for hospital use in 1897 during of the patients in the asylum (from

– 15 1851 access was by a tunnel built the same time. St. Dympna’s (now under the road to connect the known as the Conolly Norman two sites). In c.1851 a chapel, House) was built in 1905, on initially serving both Catholic land fronting onto the North and Protestant patients, and two Circular Road. Three detached infirmaries were built on those doctors’ houses were built in the lands to the west. Following this same location c. 1936. In 1938, the new Richmond District Lunatic the Nurses’ Home was completed Asylum was built in the centre immediately south of the of the grounds, which housed penitentiary. This building males only. The Church of Ireland was extended in 1949. Further Chapel was built nearby in 1860. institutional buildings were developed in the twentieth century The single-storey brick Laundry and the complex was renamed building (now part of the HSE St. Brendan’s Hospital in 1958. Primary Care Centre) was built c.1894 and the mortuary building of similar style was built around

– 16 The Nurses’ Home and other The Dublin 7 Educate Together buildings from the St. Brendan’s Temporary School opened in 2009, Hospital complex were removed the first DIT (now TU Dublin) during a 2013 GDA contract for students arrived on the site in 2014, demolitions and enabling works. and the Grangegorman Primary Care The population of the asylum Centre opened in 2018. ln late 2020 complex rose from c. 283 patients some 10,000 TU Dublin students in the 1850s to c. 2,000 patients will arrive on the campus. Thus, a by the 1940s. The development new chapter begins. of community-based alternatives resulted in a decline in the number c. of patients, so there were only Adapted from the Grangegorman Development 100 patients by 2013. That year, the Agency Strategic Plan (2011): 2. Project Vision and Context; 2.2 Historical Context patients moved to the new Phoenix http://ggda.ie/strategic-plan Care Centre and the rest of the site http://ggda.ie/assets/GG_Strategic_Plan_S2.pdf ceased to function as a hospital.

– 17

Founding Partners

Dublin The Dublin City Council Central Area is one City of five administrative areas used by Dublin City Council to coordinate the delivery of Council services in the city. The Central Area includes -Central the north city centre, Broadstone, North Wall, Area East Wall, Drumcondra, and Ballybough. The Committee re-development of Grangegorman heralds a new era for the area, however, the Committee wishes to recognise and acknowledge the history of Grangegorman, particularly the people who experienced life there, with access to the records of these people and their experiences, even if that is sometimes a difficult process.

– 19 The Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) was set up under the GDA Act 2005 to re‐develop the grounds of St Brendan’s Hospital into a new urban quarter for Dublin City.

This quarter has health, education, and community at its heart and is underpinned by the principles of connectivity, accessibility, and Grangegorman sustainability. It includes new healthcare Development facilities for the HSE; a consolidated city campus for TU Dublin, Ireland’s largest Agency (GDA) third level institution; and contains public amenities such as a primary school, sports pitches, playgrounds, and parkland areas.

As part of the overall re-development it is vital that the Agency captures in some way the rich and significant history of the site and the surrounding area, and this was committed to in the Grangegorman Strategic Plan 2011.

– 20 The Health Service Executive (HSE) are former custodians of the Grangegorman site and have already been involved in a major transformation in Grangegorman, with the development of the award-winning Phoenix Care Centre and the Grangegorman Primary Care Centre Health . The HSE are developing the first housing project on the site, Service the Residential Care Neighbourhood with 100 Executive bed spaces due to open in 2023. The HSE have (HSE) responsibility for the archives and artefacts from the former St Brendan’s Hospital and historical mental health facilities on the site. They will provide guidance on appropriate access to those materials to support the Working Group in its mission to uncover, catalogue and memorialise these aspects of the history associated with this site.

– 21 Grangegorman borders many neighbourhoods and communities within the north inner city and the north western suburbs. These communities are part of the past and the future of Grangegorman, with many of the residents having some connection to the site. They are a vital part Local of the project and will be an important Communities resource as the project progresses. and other The contributions, reflections, participation interested and engagement of the Grangegorman parties local communities are integral to the Grangegorman Histories programme. The project will seek opportunities to engage with local communities and place their contributions at the centre of the programme delivery. A key measure of the success of Grangegorman Histories will be the response of the local communities to this work.

– 22 The National Archives collects, manages and preserves the public record of Ireland, ensuring its availability both as a resource and to safeguard citizens’ rights. Instrumental to the discovery and rescue of the historical National records of the Grangegorman mental health Archives, institutions in recent years, the National Archives has ensured the preservation and Ireland availability of this remarkable and valuable national resource. The National Archives aims to stimulate active engagement with these records to transform understanding of the former mental health institutions on this site.

– 23 The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) is an independent, all-island learned society established under Charter in 1785. The RIA champions research. It identifies and recognises Ireland’s world class researchers. It supports scholarship and promotes awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. It believes that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The RIA is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by Royal election and considered the highest academic Irish honour in Ireland.

Academy The RIA has a research interest in serving (RIA) society by using archives to understand our past including mental illness and has commissioned Professor Brendan Kelly to write a book Grangegorman Histories: Inside the Asylum. The RIA approached TU Dublin, the National Archives and the GDA about a partnership to deliver a wider history research and public engagement project. As this coincided with the GDA’s own thinking, the RIA has agreed to partner with the GDA to help co-ordinate and deliver the Grangegorman Histories project.

– 24 Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) is Ireland’s first Technological University, offering a unique range of programmes and disciplines, with pathways to graduation from foundation and apprenticeship to undergraduate and doctoral levels. TU Dublin is the university where the arts, business, sciences, engineering and technology converge, and its 28,500 students and researchers come from all over Ireland and from all parts of the globe. Technological University The new University has well-developed campuses Dublin in Dublin City and in the two largest areas (TU Dublin) of population growth in the Greater Dublin Region – Blanchardstown and Tallaght. Now, a new city campus is being developed within the 73 acre site at Grangegorman in central Dublin. This is the largest higher education development project in Europe. The campus will provide an exceptional learning environment that supports research, innovation, and the advancement of knowledge and will welcome more than 10,000 students in late 2020. A further 4,000 students will relocate to the campus by 2023.

– 25

Funding

The RIA and the GDA will necessary, to deliver the programme. contribute resources to deliver If you would like to make a Grangegorman Histories from 2019 philanthropic contribution, please when the project was launched, to email [email protected] its initial three years period from Each of the founding partners 2020-2022. The GDA has allocated will contribute significant in-kind €25,000 per annum to the RIA resources to the initial three-year to support the co-ordination costs phase of the project. of the project. The programme costs are made up of €10,000 per The GHWG does not require year from Dublin City Council, funding for its day-to-day TU Dublin and the GDA. The operations. All members volunteer total budget therefore is €165,000 their time and expertise without over three years: €75,000 for recompense. Consequently, all co-ordination and €90,000 for funding allocated to the project will the programme costs. Additional go directly to the implementation of funding will be sourced, as its programme.

– 27

Governance

The project will be overseen by the a) Develop a strategy and Grangegorman Histories Expert programme of high reputation Working Group (GHWG). The and good practice in line with Working Group will set the strategy, national policy manage the funds and devise the b) Oversee and sustain a clear, work programme to achieve the cohesive curatorial vision of project aims. ambition for history projects on-site and off-site Responsibilities c) Agree and sanction processes for the development and The GHWG will devise and manage realisation of projects, events a programme of events and a range and resources of resources appropriate to this d) Develop and support multi-layered area of study, ensuring mechanisms for the review and that the values of the project are evaluation of project outputs adhered to at all times. The specific e) Oversee the budget for functions of the GHWG are to: the project and maximise

– 29 opportunities for applications where necessary. While the GHWG to other appropriate funding has the remit and authority to decide sources on the type of events and resources f) Develop a comprehensive to procure, the CEO will formally communication method sign off on each project and, as with regarding the promotion all financial matters on the project, a and documentation of the Purchase Order must be raised before Working Group’s activities any commitment is made to procure g) Collaborate with new and services or work from any source. existing GDA working These processes will be managed by the groups, committees and GDA staff member on the GHWG. other stakeholders to ensure a cohesive cross-agency In addition to the above, the Chair programme delivery. of the Working Group will complete a quarterly report to the CEO of the GDA. The report should include the Reporting following: Structure • Recent progress to date The Working Group is appointed by • Upcoming projects and reports to the Chief Executive • Financial commitments in the next Officer of the GDA. The Chair will quarter report to the CEO through the GDA • Any issues which are current or staff member on the Working Group foreseen and will seek approval for its activities • Minutes from the GHWG meetings.

– 30 Membership The GHWG is made up of the following members from the In common with membership of founding partners: any public board or working group, members are expected to: – Philip Cohen (Chair) – Danny Connellan (HSE) • Disclose any potential conflict – Catriona Crowe (RIA) of interest and absent themselves – Stephanie Dickenson from relevant discussions and (Communications, arts and decision making local communities) • Avoid receiving corporate gifts – Brian Donnelly (NAI) and or hospitality which might – Charles Duggan (DCC) affect the ability of the recipient – Noel Fitzpatrick (TU Dublin) to make independent judgements – Ruth Hegarty (RIA) • Respect the confidentiality of – Brendan Kelly (TCD and the GHWG’s deliberations and Tallaght University Hospital) decisions – Mary Muldowney (DCC • Act with integrity in all decision Historian-in-residence and local making communities) • Consult the Chair of the GHWG – Nora Rahill (GDA) and or the Corporate Affairs – Una Sugrue (GDA) Manager of the GDA where in doubt on any of the above matters Other expert members may be added as deemed appropriate by the Working Group.

– 31 Data Protection the GDPR when carrying out any activities that involve access to Data Protection Law in Ireland personal data. is governed primarily by the Data Protection Acts 1988–2003 and 2018 and the General Data Meeting Schedule Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU/2016/679). The GDA The length of the term of office for and the RIA will be joint data the Working Group is the length controllers and processors, (in some of the initial funding commitment, cases) sharing responsibility for which is three years. compliance with the obligations of this regulation and responsibility For the purposes of governance, for the fair and secure processing, initially the Working Group will appropriate retention and secure meet on a monthly basis; thereafter, disposal (subject to agreed retention the group will meet at least once per periods) of personal data. Over the quarter. Minutes will be prepared course of the project, the Working for these meetings recording issues Group, with the approval of the raised, discussion and decisions. GDA and the RIA, will develop policies and processes in response A quorum will constitute a to the programme needs on a minimum of 50 per cent of the case-by-case basis. The Working Working Group membership plus Group members will adhere to the one member. data protection obligations under

– 32 Decision Making GHWG or between the Working and Issue Group and another body. In the event of an internal conflict the Resolution matter should be referred to the All decisions will be made in a Chair. Once the issue has been collegiate manner if possible and resolved a report should be made only by a majority vote if this by the Chair to the GDA Chief is not possible. If the Working Executive Officer outlining the Group fails to reach a decision, nature of the issue and how it the Chair will have the deciding was resolved. Should a conflict vote. Minutes will be taken at all arise between the GHWG and an meetings and agreed at the next outside body the matter will be meeting. referred to the CEO by the Chair of the Working Group. In such Conflicts or issues may arise from instance the CEO will decide how time to time, either within the to proceed in resolving the matter.

– 33

Implementation Plan

The GHWG will devise a detailed RIA Seminar on Historical Mental work programme for the three years Health Records. Participants from 2020 to 2022. This programme included international experts and will address all aspects of the project’s local stakeholders. mission and vision and embrace all founding partners. Key Performance The key questions addressed were: Indicators will be developed and – What should the project do in its applied to ensure the efficacy of initial 3-year phase? the programme and its delivery. A – What are the delivery mechanisms sustainable infrastructure and legacy for doing it? of resources will be left in place at the end of the project in 2022. The outputs from the session were combined with initial ideas from the In order to inform the programme project partners, including proposals development, a brainstorming prepared for the Dublin City session was held at the Council Central Area Committee Grangegorman campus in May and the Royal Irish Academy. 2019, in conjunction with the

– 35 Learning Pathways

The Grangegorman Histories Programme will engage with the history of the site from three perspectives: People, Places and Practices.

People

Life in Grangegorman will be explored through a number of public events, discussions and other activities. The focus will be on people and the range of their experiences in relation to the site and our programme will provide for:

• Preservation of the collection • An Oral history project to of artefacts from the site to capture, record and share the allow access for research and many voices and (hi)stories of exhibition. Grangegorman.

• Seminar to explore new • Commissioning three approaches to the exhibition historical reviews specifically of sensitive material with the relating to the lives and objective of providing a robust people of Grangegorman e.g. people-centred narrative of ‘Grangegorman and food’, institutional experience. ‘Grangegorman and sport’ and

– 36 ‘Life in Grangegorman female minds’ Programme. ‘Change penitentiary’. The reviews Minds’ is a transformative will identify gaps in current archival adventure for people published historical research of living with mental illness, the area and will be adapted for carers, volunteers and staff. blogging and other uses. This is achieved by supporting participants to research historical • Open call to communities/ mental health records to learn institutions/bodies in the more about the lives of people Grangegorman neighbourhood treated for mental illness in to seek funding for contributions previous centuries. Participants to the Grangegorman Histories engage in facilitated workshops programme that complement the with artists to produce a creative mission, vision and values of the response for exhibition and programme. sharing with their community. Originating in Norfolk, • Schools engagement ‘Change Minds’ has invited programmes for each of the nine Grangegorman Histories to schools in the Grangegorman engage in a further, international neighbourhood to explore and expansion of this successful foster identity with the histories programme. of the site. • Collaborating with TU • Participation in international Dublin to share the history of collaboration in the ‘Change Grangegorman with staff and

– 37 students new to the campus to understanding and appreciation foster an appreciation of the for the history of the site. history associated with the site. • Collaborate with academic • Opening Exhibition of TU departments within TU Dublin Academic Hub. The Dublin to explore creative exhibition will publicly share the and academically fruitful artefacts and documents relating opportunities for student to the institutional history of engagement with the histories the site through the records of of Grangegorman. lived experience to gain a greater

– 38 Places

Grangegorman is the site of rich architectural and spatial importance with a considerable impact on both the inhabitants and its hinterland.

Support academic research • Festival, Dublin Festival of History, to capture the architecture Culture Night, Open House, and of Grangegorman within the others as opportunities arise. context of Irish and international institutional history. • Develop a ‘Grangegorman • Commissioning three historical History Trail’ sharing the history reviews specifically relating to the of the Grangegorman site with all built environment of Grangegorman Grangegorman stakeholders, users e.g. ’The architects of Grangegorman’, and visitors including HSE services ‘Grangegorman: transport and access’ users, staff and students of TU and ‘The walls of Grangegorman’. The Dublin and the local community. reviews will identify gaps in current Research the possibility of creating published historical research of the • a self-guided cycling trail linking area and will be adapted for blogging Grangegorman to other institutions and other uses. on Dublin’s North side (e.g. Collins’ • Collaborate with local, existing Barracks, Kings’ Inns, Glasnevin resources including Stoneybatter Cemetery, Botanic Gardens, Pride of Place and Stoneybatter Henrietta Street and Phoenix Park).

– 39 Practices

Historically, Grangegorman has been synonymous with institutional confinement. Examining these institutional practices, their origins, evolution and impact is key to the mission and legacy of this project.

• Seminar on historical mental the development of national health records and their use to protocols for research access to examine the current status of and publication of historical and access to historical mental mental health records. health records in Ireland, with opportunities discussed to • Seminar to examine the use consider alternative approaches in of historical language and other countries which might serve terminology associated with as practice models for Ireland. institutional confinement in This seminar took place in May a contemporary context and 2019 and the report from the the impact of this on the use event is available at https://www. of appropriate language and ria.ie/sites/default/files/report-on- terminology for Grangegorman historical-mental-health-records- Histories and beyond. seminar-16-may-2019.pdf • From September 2020, images • Engage with the HSE and other representing some of the stakeholders to encourage histories of Grangegorman to

– 40 be displayed in the Lower House, • Commissioning three which will house facilities including historical reviews specifically catering and Student Union spaces relating to institutional systems for the more than 10,000 students of confinement associated scheduled to arrive at the new with Grangegorman, e.g. campus in late 2020. ‘Grangegorman and transportation in the eighteenth and nineteenth • Publication of Grangegorman centuries’, ‘Procedures: the Histories: Inside the Asylum evolution of admittance, routine, by Brendan Kelly, Professor of treatment and discharge from Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin the Richmond District Asylum’, and Consultant Psychiatrist at and ‘Innovative approaches to Tallaght University Hospital. the treatment of mental illness in Grangegorman lay at the heart of Grangegorman’. The reviews will Ireland’s vast network of mental identify gaps in current published hospitals for two centuries. This historical research of the area and book will tell the stories of its will be adapted for blogging and patients – complicated stories of other uses. care, abandonment and the perils of institutional excess. • Documenting and archiving Grangegorman Histories to • Preservation and engagement demonstrate the impact and legacy with the historical mental health of this project. records from the site to encourage access.

– 41 Luas green line

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st stephen’s green ISBN: 978-1-911479-39-0

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