Governor's House Omagh Gaol

Feb 20th, 2017

Omagh Gaol Date of Construction: 1820 - 1839 Extract from NI direct government Services Buildings Historic Building Details HB Ref No: HB11/09/004 A Extent of Listing: House with basement and screen walls Governors House Omagh Gaol 18 Castle Place Omagh Co. Tyrone BT78 5ER in the town land of Gortmore Historical Information The building is shown on the first edition OS map of 1833. The Griffiths town plan captions the building Governors House. The OS Map of 1905-6 captions the Gaol site as disused. Griffiths Valuation records the property as a whole as County Gaol and yards, the building valuation is 250. Lt. William Laceys OS Memoirs of 1834 describe the Gaol as follows; it consists of the old and new gaols. The former was built in 1796and is now used as the womens and debtors prison. The new part was erected in 1823 of cut freestone in a semi circular form, divided into [?] wards, each having a separate yard for the different classes of prisoner. Both old and new gaols are three storeys high. In front of the old building an open space has lately been enclosed for the prisoners to work in and the whole building is surrounded with a high stone wall to prevent their escape. This establishment can accommodate 300 prisoners and is guarded by 14 keepers. The governors house stands in the centre of the arc formed by the new gaol and looks into each yard. (pg 104,105). The Dictionary of Irish Architects lists John Hargrave as the architect of the new gaol and this connects it to the Courthouse (HB11/13/001) built 1814-20, also by Hargrave. Samuel Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland claims the ...county prison, [was] built in 1804 and enlarged in 1822, according to a plan adapted to the better classification of prisoners. (pg, 449). Around that era theories were developed on the need for improved layouts of such institutions, in particular Jeremy Benthams article on Panopticon written in 1787, which detailed how design could improve the running of such facilities, this was later to inspire Foucaults work. The ideas expresses clearly influenced the layout of Omagh Gaol. The following is an extract from Panopticon, the ideas expressed bear a strong similarity with the layout of Omagh Gaol; The building is circular. The apartments of the prisoners occupy the circumference. You may call them, if you please, the cells. These cells are divided from one another, and the prisoners by that means secluded from all communication with each other, by partitions in the form of radii issuing from the circumference towards the centre, and extending as many feet as shall be thought necessary to form the largest dimension of the cell. The apartment of the inspector occupies the centre; you may call it if you please the inspector's lodge. It will be convenient in most, if not in all cases, to have a vacant space or area all round, between such centre and such circumference. You may call it if you please the intermediate or annular area (Panopticon, 1787) Omagh Tourist Information Centre gives the following information; Omagh Gaol was originally located on the site of the present Assize Court House (HB11/13/001). The later goal complex of buildings on the present site, were begun in the 1790s and opened in 1804 with the Gaol Governors house being built in 1823. The gaol closed in 1904.
Aug 20th, 2018