Workhouse Museum and Library

The Dunfanaghy Workhouse, a modern heritage centre located in part of the 19th century workhouse [most of the building is long demolished] tells the story of unhappier days in the area when thousands succumbed to famine and disease.

Visitors to the Dunfanaghy Workhouse can see and hear "Wee Hannah" tell the true story of her long life. In a series of tableaux, "Wee Hannah" talks of her harsh upbringing on a farm in the 1830's, a grave illness, her time in The Workhouse and eventually a more peaceful old age. Find out what life was like for the inmates of The Workhouse and use the study area to do further research into The Famine, The Workhouse, or the local history of this part of County Donegal.

Also a venue for art exhibitions and music they have a vibrant and representative crafts shop with quite a selection of locally made goods. Also don’t miss the enormous ‘famine pot’ in the grounds that was used to make the daily ration of ‘stirabout’ a cheap and thin porridge. Across the road and uphill about half a mile is the old churchyard which contains the large ‘famine mound’ the unmarked mass grave of the dead of the 1845-50. Estimates vary but starvation, disease and emigration removed 2 million Irish. Since then the population (estimated at 8,000,000 in 1840) continued to decline until the current decade. Today the all-island population tops 6,000,000, the first time since the famile! A lesson in history, politics and economics under one roof.