A history of the Belfast City Hospital.

THIS IS A STORY about a town that grew into a city, a Board of Guardians, and a hospital that was not wanted, certainly not to begin with by the Poor Law Commissioners in Dublin, who protested most strongly that they did not want their Workhouse to become a hospital. It all began in 1838, one hundred and thirty five years ago, when an Act of Parliament The Irish Poor Law Relief Act was passed to provide for the building of Workhouses in Ireland, and to create Boards of Guardians to supervise their running. Our Workhouse opened on 11th May 1841. It cost £7,000 and had taken two years to build. It was planned to admit about 1,000 inmates, and it was not ready any too soon.