Dr Norman’s tenure as Resident Medical Superintendent (RMS) at the Richmond District Lunatic Asylum(1886-1908) is noted for his progressive and compassionate approach to the care of people living with mental illness. Against a backdrop of continuous over-crowding, and the resulting poor sanitary conditions as well as a low staff: patient ratio, he championed enlightened changes in the surroundings and social lives of the residents of the asylum as well as being the first Irish doctor to publicly campaign against asylum detention as an effective therapy for all patients.

Read more about the life and work of Dr Conolly Norman here

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of people whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at www.dib.ie

Image credit: By permission of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Archives.

Ethel Rhind was a key artist in the Irish arts and crafts movement of the early twentieth century. A member of Sarah Purser’s stained-glass workshop An Túr Glaoine – she worked both in stained glass and opus sectile (the setting of a mosaic of flat glass pieces into plaster), a craft at which she excelled. Rhind’s stained glass and opus sectile works are featured in churches all over Ireland including St Enda’s Church, Spiddal, Co. Galway; Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian Church, Dublin; the Franciscan Friary, Athlone and the Honan Chapel in UCC. Her work can also be found in the US. Ethel Rhind’s opus sectile memorial World War 1 memorial ‘Archangel Michael’ (1921) is featured on the exterior wall of All Saints’ Church, Grangegorman. Read more about Ethel and her work here.

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at www.dib.ie

Image credit: © Reproduced with the permission of the Representative Church Body of the Church of Ireland; photograph by David Lawrence

Image tag: RCB Library Gloine – Grangegorman- 110610 – W09 P13

From the RTÉ Archives, this RTÉ Radio One Documentary ‘A Place in the Community’ is a special feature in the Grangegorman Lives series. The documentary was first aired on 27 December, 1984 and features interviews with some of the medical practitioners and clients of St Brendan’s Hospital, Grangegorman. The documentary is a rare record of the experiences and lives of people living and working within the institution and gives voice to their experience. The documentary is available here

The documentary was produced by Edward Mulhall and presented by Betty Purcell.

With thanks to RTÉ Archives.

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman.

Born at All Saint’s vicarage Grangegorman, Maturin was a popular and effective clergyman and preacher in the Anglican faith. He practiced and preached in Britain, United States and South Africa and produced the first in a series of religious publications titled Some principles and practices of spiritual life. In 1897, however, he converted to Catholicism and was ordained in 1898. He continued to preach in Britain and the US, and he frequently preached in Ireland. He continued to publish writings charting his gradual move towards Catholicism. Following a trip to New York to undertake preaching engagements there, he boarded the Lusitania in May 1915 to return Britain. Tragically, he died when the ship was torpedoed and sank off the Old Head of Kinsale. Read more about his fascinating life

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of over 60 women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at dib.ie

Article image courtesy of the Sophia Institute.

Margaret Louisa Aylward (1810-1889) is best known as the founder of the Catholic religious order Sisters of the Holy Faith and the network of St Brigid’s national schools for girls. However, in 1860 she was imprisoned in the Grangegorman Female Penitentiary for kidnap. Discover more about Margaret Aylward’s life

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of over 60 women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at www.dib.ie

Article image: © Romuald Gibson FMS courtesy of the Holy Faith Archives.

Thomas Lambert Synnott (1810-1897) was a Dublin native and supporter of Daniel O’Connell’s movement to repeal the Acts of Union (1800). Highly regarded amongst the ruling elite of the city, in particular for his dedicated relief work during the famine (1845-49), he held a series of public offices throughout his career. These included Governor of Grangegorman Female Penitentiary (1848-1865). However, his granting of favours to Margaret Aylward while she served her sentence for kidnap there ultimately led to his dismissal and decline in public favour. Find out more

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of over 60 women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available

Article image: Richmond Penitentiary (later Grangegorman Female Penitentiary) RIAI Murray Collection, Irish Architectural Archive

Eleonora Lilian Fleury was the first female psychiatrist in Britain and Ireland, who practised exclusively at the ‘Richmond District Lunatic Asylum’, Grangegorman and its satellite asylum St Ita’s, Portrane. She later became involved in the civil war in Ireland participating in an organised assistance and escape programme for anti-treaty republicans that involved hiding escapees in the asylum at Portrane. Learn more about this formidable woman.

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of over 60 women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at dib.ie

Article image: © Sam Bleckley, 2021 www.sambleckley.com

Billy in the Bowl (fl. 1780s) was a notorious beggar and robber who lived on the North side of Dublin. Born with no legs, he propelled himself about in a large bowl to which wheels had been fitted, thereby drawing the nickname ‘Billy in the Bowl’ from locals. Learn more about Billy’s life and connection to Grangegorman and Stoneybatter here

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of over 60 women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at www.dib.ie

Article image: Billy in the Bowl commission by Dublin Canvas ©Shota Kotake

Francis Johnston (1760/61–1829), was the architect of a number of well-known buildings in Dublin, particularly the GPO but also the original ‘Richmond Lunatic Asylum‘, now the recently recovered ‘Lower House’ of the TU Dublin city campus at Grangegorman. Read more about Johnston and his impact on the architecture of Dublin here

View TU Dublin’s virtual introduction to the recently restored ‘Lower House’.

Grangegorman Lives is a series of biographies of over 60 women and men whose lives influenced or were influenced by Grangegorman. The biographies are all sourced from Ireland’s Dictionary of Irish Biography: Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition is freely available at www.dib.ie

Article image: by Henry Meyer, after Thomas Clement Thompson stipple engraving, published 1823 NPG D9048© National Portrait Gallery, London.