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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Kerry => Topic started by: gmggmg on Sunday 08 February 09 15:41 GMT (UK)
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An ancestor of mine was a medical superintendent in the asylum in Killarney (now closed I believe) in the 19th century. I would be very grateful if anyone knows how I could get hold of asylum records from that time. I simply want to gather information.
Thanks in advance.
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St Finan's Hospital Killarney is the main psychiatric hopital for Kerry and is on the site of the old asylum. You could write to the admistrator at the hospital or phone (international prefix-06431022) and they may be able to give you some pointers. There have been some books published on the history of the mental health services in Ireland and it might be useful to have a look at those. One is Joseph Robins 1986 "Fools and Mad - A history of the Insane in Ireland."
annclare
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Thank you!
I'll give them a call, and I'll try to get hold of that book.
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what timeframe are you interested in ?
the following is the entry for the Asylum included in the Killarney section of Slaters Directory of 1894 :
COUNTY LUNATIC ASYLUM.
Resident Medical Superintendent - Laurence T. Griffin L.R.C.P.L.,
L.B.C.S.I
Assistant Medical Officer, Edward AV. Griffin M.D
Assisting Physician, George Hickson L.R.C.P.Edin
Apothecary, John J. Savell
Chaplains—Church of Ireland, Ven. Archdeacon George R. Wynne D.D.
Catholic, Rev. Daniel O'Keeffe
Matron, Emma Creagh
Clerk, Michael W. Mahony
I can have a look at earlier years if you wish..
Shane
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Probably earlier, maybe around 1860.
The name I'm looking for is Matthias Rickard. We believe he was medical superintendent at the asylum for a while, although he was not a medical doctor so he may have had another title. I am not very familiar with the various positions.
The only piece of information I discovered today is that the Killarney asylum was opened in 1852. We believe that Matthias Rickard was in (working in!) the Carlow asylum before Killarney. So it could be that he was in Carlow before 1852, and then got a job in Killarney when it opened, but that's just a guess.
By the way, you (Shane) kindly answered another query of mine about a baker named Matthias Rickard in Dublin. The Killarney Matthias Rickard is a son of the Dublin one.
Ultimately I would like to get church records of births, marriages and deaths for these ancestors, but first I have to track them down to know where to look.
Thank you very much for your reply, I really appreciate it.
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I just checked the Slater's 1846 directory for Carlow at
http://www.failteromhat.com/slater.php
No Matthias Rickard in Carlow asylum.
I don't know of any other directories online, you must have hard copies. Thanks very much for checking them.
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While googling for Matthias Rickard I found a post on another board from several years ago:
http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=151&p=surnames.rickard
The author of this post is Mike Cross, who I would dearly like to get in touch with because he says he has more information.
I'm assuming this is the same Matthias Rickard as mine, how many can there be?
Mike Cross, in case you are reading, please contact me!
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I wonder if this is the same person ?
Lunatic Asylum, Main St - Wexford
Governor—Matthew Rickard.
Matron—Ann Rickard.
from Slaters of 1846
my Latin is not very good - but I think Mattias means Matthew...
Shane
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Wow, great find! Thanks for that. I think it could easily be the same person. Family lore says he was in some position of management at the lunatic asylum in Carlow, and then Killarney. I haven't heard of Wexford in there, but it must be him. How many people named Rickard in a position of management in a lunatic asylum in the mid 19th century, with a name like Matthew/Matthias, can there be?
Looking at IGI, there is a Mathias Ricard (that exact spelling) married an Anne Nolan on 22 March 1843 in Carlow. The spelling is a little different, but I think this is the same person. The first name Ann/Anne fits with your find.
Are there any other directories for years after 1852, up to say 1870?
Thank you again for your help.
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I'll have a look later on - I've a bit of a gap at the moment between 1846 and 1870.
I am almost sure I saw an Ann Rickard on her own in 1870 - can't remember exactly where ... but it was somewhere between Wexford and Dublin... :)
Shane
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Thanks. I am assuming the Ann Rickard was his wife, but of course that could be a wrong assumption.
Is the 1870 also Slaters?
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Slaters of 1870 - Linen Drapers &. Haberdashers
Anne Rickard, 4 Market st, Enniscorthy
I can't see any sign of Matthew...
Shane
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Thank you!
I take it there are no Rickards in the Killarney entry in 1870.
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no Rickard or similar in Killarney in 1870
Lunatic Asylum. Castle Island road—
Walter W- Murphy, M.D., visiting physician;
Martin Shine Lawlor, resident physician and superintendent,
and Owen C. M'Dermott, apothecary
the entries I see for the surname are
Mrs— Rickard , Whitestown, Rush (Miller)
Miss — Rickard , Cannon Rock, Howth House (Gentry Section)
William Rickards, Mill st, Ennis (Feather &. Skin Dealer - also Wool Merchant)
Thomas Rickard, Market sq, Lisburn (Haberdasher)
Patrick Rickard, Maghera (Lilnen &. Woollen Draper)
Catherine Rickard , dressmaker, 3 Summer Hill parade, Dublin
Wm. Rickard coach builder, 16 Great Denmark st, Dublin
Thomas Rickard - Junior Clerk, Dogs Registration Office, Dublin Metropolian Ploice District
Shane
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found a Rickard entry in Killarney in 'Henry & Coughlan’s General Directory of Cork & Munster, 1867'
Christina Rickard, New street, Killarney (Milliner.)
Shane
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That's them! As far as my relatives can remember, the Matthias Rickard I am looking for had daughters named Kate, Lucy, Christina, Maria. So the name Christina is bang on. That must be her.
I must get some of these directories.... you keep coming up with more of them!
Thanks very much for all the Rickards from 1870, none of those names ring a bell unfortunately. It is strange that Matthias Rickard is not there in Killarney, and indeed the same goes for 1867. Perhaps he had died by that time, I don't know. If he had died, perhaps that's why his wife Ann is in Enniscorthy in 1870.
This is all guesswork. I need to pin down church records somehow. He is a hard man to find!
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Could you (or anyone) list the directories that would give his information, between 1850 and 1870 say?
I don't know how many there are, or their names, but I can go to a library to look them up if I know what to look for.
Thanks.
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not sure which of these directories still exist - but as far as I know the best one for outside Dublin for this timeframe would be Slaters.
I dont know the exact years that it was published but I have editions on both sides of the timeframe you're after - 1846 and 1870
So I suspect they there were a few in the years in between - whether any of them survived after all this time is another question...
There are others to keep an eye out for like Pigots and 'Henry & Coughlan'..
I'd say the best bet is a library in the Kerry, or possibly Limerick area.
Shane
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according to the Irish Times website (http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/records/directories/country.htm) there is a 1856 edition of Slaters.
It looks like there was a new edition published about every 10 years.
Shane
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Thanks very much for the tips, and for all your help on this. I've got several clues to work on.
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Just for the record, I found the 1862 Kerry County and Borough Directory online here
http://www.libraryireland.com/articles/KerryDirectoryThom1862/index.php
It gives a lot of the same information as Slaters. (No Rickards...)
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Hi gmggmg,
Just came across your posts last night - am also doing research on the Rickards as Matthias and Ann Nolan are my great great grandparents. Their daughter, Kate (Catherine - born in 1855 in the Killarney asylum) married Denis McGillycuddy from Ballinilane Killarney county Kerry in 1892. They had 3 children - Abbie, Mary (my maternal grandmother) and Eugene. I've also found an Elizabeth, Lucy who never married and moved to England, Christina who married Thomas Burke in Killarney on August 18th 1867 and Maria (Mary) who married John Garry in about 1891. Also a James born in Killarney asylum in 1861 of Ann Nolan and Matthew Rickard but lots of missing pieces. Have also found other info but I'm sure you've made lots of progress since 2009. If you're still into research, we may be able to help each other!!!
Take care,
Deirdre
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Hello Deirdre,
It appears that we are cousins. Nice to meet you!
Matthias Rickard and Ann Nolan are also my great great grandparents.
I haven't done too much since 2009, so I'm sure you have a few things to tell me. It would be great to meet up sometime. I will send you a private message about that.
Thanks a lot for your post!
Gary
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I was wondering if someone may be able to assist me. I am searching for a William Lowden of the Killarney Lunatic Asylum from around 1896 - died there in 1919. I am wondering if he died there would he be buried on the grounds there. Secondly, how do I obtain any medical information that may be there on him. Any assistance in relation to this would be appreciated as I am researching from Australia :) Many thanks in advance - Kelly.