Recollections of Mayo's 'House of Refuge'

by Auld Stock

PRIOR to the opening of Mayo Mental Hospital, Castlebar, in the late 1800s, there was a building close to Duffy’s garage, Station Road, known as the House of Refuge.

The building catered for people from all over Mayo suffering from mental health problems.

Those people were brought by horse cart to the centre in Castlebar and kept overnight before being transferred to the mental hospital in Ballinasloe, County Galway, the following day, a distance of over 70 miles.

Mental hospitals all over Ireland were surrounded by high walls. The wall surrounding St. Mary’s Hospital, Castlebar, was removed over 50 years ago.

The resident medical superintendent in St. Mary’s Hospital at the time was Dr. J.V. Kelly whose family came from Main Street, Castlebar.

I have always felt the people of our town have had an advantage in living close to a psychiatric hospital as it gave them an appreciation and understanding of the problems confronted by people with mental health issues.

St. Mary’s had a large farm on the Golden Mile, Castlebar. Matt Shaw, Snugboro, Castlebar, a native of Mullingar, was land steward in St. Mary’s Hospital for a number of years, a man who took much pride in his profession and introduced a large number of improvements at the centre.

St. Mary’s Hospital closed some years ago and it is now the location for Mayo Atlantic Technological University.