Irish Workhouse Centre — Attraction in County Galway

An absolute gem of a place!

Our guide today, Aran, was exceptional—knowledgeable, engaging and full of compassion for the stories he told. In just an hour and a half, I learned so much. He brought to life the harrowing realities faced by those who lived, worked, and died within the walls of Portumna Workhouse, weaving in personal stories of hardship and resilience that were both moving and unforgettable.

I was particularly struck by the tale of the priest—a rare voice of honesty in a time and place where integrity was scarce.

Whether you know much about the workhouse system or not, this site is absolutely worth a visit. It’s excellent value for money and deserves far greater recognition and support—especially from the Government and heritage bodies that should be funding the preservation of such powerful and important places... we must...

I could not recommend this visit highly enough. While most Irish people will be aware of workhouses, visiting possibly the only surviving one open to the public in the country gives a much better sense of what it was like to "live" in one. Call ahead to book a guided tour. David Broderick lead ours and brilliantly told the well researched stories behind the people and the buildings. While at the workhouse, we also visited Kieran Tuohy's evocative bog oak sculpture exhibition which expertly does justice to commemorating Ireland's famine and workhouse sufferers. Well done to everyone involved in the excellent Irish...

The Portumna workhouse is well worth a visit for anyone hoping to make a connection or understand our past. For any teacher hoping to engage students in learning. This is the full immersion. Students will be hooked in the grimm reality of what life was like for far too many Irish people in the 19th century. It really is a hauntingly sad and miserable look into the past. I would highly recommend the experience. It was not expensive and the tour guide that we had was excellent. Wrap up in the winter. It is cold in there. This, of course, only added to the experience as students tried to imagine living...