'Instituting Grangegorman' podcast launches for Dublin Festival of History 2022

About the podcast

For Dublin Festival of History 2022 and to mark World Mental Health Day, 10 October, Grangegorman Histories has launched ‘Instituting Grangegorman’ the second in the Grangegorman Histories podcast series exploring the histories of the Grangegorman area of north, inner-city Dublin. This podcast explores the history of the Richmond Lunatic Asylum, now the recently restored TU Dublin Lower House.

Join architectural historian, Patrick Quinlan, as he explores the chequered career of this landmark building: a story of optimistic conception and utilitarian service, of neglect, decline and demise, culminating in the latest chapter of rebirth as a valued architectural and historical landmark.

About the podcaster

Patrick Quinlan, B.Arch, ARB, MUBC

Patrick holds a Masters in Urban and Building Conservation from UCD and is a practicing architect with professional experience spanning from modern healthcare to the conservation and reuse of a range of historic structures. His recently published Walls of Containment, the Architecture and Landscapes of Lunacy explores the history of Ireland’s legacy asylum sites through the lens of architectural history. Patrick is a past recipient of the RIBA Dissertation Commendation and is currently undertaking a PhD at Birkbeck, University of London. 

Grangegorman Histories is a public history project of Dublin City Council, Grangegorman Development Agency, HSE, Local Communities, National Archives, Royal Irish Academy and TU Dublin.

Grangegorman Histories would like to thank Marisa Brown and Conor Reid at Headstuff Productions and all of the contributors to this podcast:

• Roisin Bowden, Voice Actor;
• John Dobbin, Voice Actor;
• Brian Donnelly, Senior Archivist, National Archives for sourcing and sharing the patient records included
• Mark Geraghty, TU Dublin Estates;
• Brian O’Connell, Healthcare Architect;
• Una Sugrue, Conservation Archaeologist and Project Coordinator with the Grangegorman Development Agency,2011 to 2021;
• Katya Quinlan, Pianist and
• Paddy Quinlan, Architectural Historian.

Image courtesy of David Killeen

Before you listen to the podcast, please note that some of the language that will be used in describing these histories is contemporaneous language of that historical period. This terminology is no longer acceptable. However, to give truth to these difficult histories, it is important to use the terminology of that time. It’s use is applied strictly within context.

The histories explored in this podcast involve histories of confinement and mental illness and there will be reference to the historical treatment of people with mental illness and people with intellectual disabilities. The contact details for appropriate support organisations for anyone who may be affected by that content can be accessed here

This podcast is launched as part of Dublin Festival of History 2022.

Dublin Festival of History is brought to you by Dublin City Council and organised by Dublin City Libraries, in partnership with Dublin City Council Culture Company.

For the full programme please visit www.dublinfestivalofhistory.ie