THE TRAMP NUISANCE IN IRISH WORKHOUSES

The Kildare Observer 23 November 1895

The Tramp Nuisance in Irish Workhouses.

 Athy, Wednesday.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Board of Guardians here to-day, Mr. M. J. Minch, M.P., pre-government, a circular letter was received from the Local Government Board asking for certain returns regarding the number of admission to the workhouse and hospitals of the union during the year ended 29th September last. The chairman said the return might prove interesting in view of the “tramp nuisance” in the union. Some time ago he asked the master of the workhouse to furnish him with a return of the number of tramps admitted during the year ended September, ’93 to September ’94, and also from September ’94 to ‘95. During the year ended September ’94 he was astonished to find that no less that 1,400 tramps had been admitted to Athy Union Workhouse. The guardians last year took steps to prosecute habitual tramps, with the result that during the year ended 29th September last the number admitted was only 800. The relieving officer questioned the tramps applying to him for tickets as to where they came from, etc, and wrote those particulars on the back of the admission ticket, with the result that the tramp seeing this would not go into the workhouse at all. He observed that the tramps brought before him as a magistrate the great majority of them came from the North of Ireland, and 75 per cent of them were discharged soldiers and army reserve men, with a pension of 5d or 6d a day, who were too lazy to work, and went tramping through the country, supplementing as best they could the paltry pension they received from the Government. If the surrounding unions co-operated with Athy they would be able to put an end to this tramp nuisance which was a pestilence to the country.

Re-typed by Jill O’Connell