Ballinasloe Asylum, Galway and Influenza deaths during 1918-1920 flu pandemic.

[SiGr]

I have a relative who died in Ballinasloe Asylum in December 1918. He and 7 other people on the death register page died of influenza - a total of 8 out of ten on just one page and all within 5 days. I know Ballinasloe was a mental asylum but was it used also as an 'influenza hospital' during the global flu pandemic of 1918 to 1920 ? Somewhat related, given fears of infection - does anybody know what happened regarding burials ? Thank you.

[Sinann]

Welcome to RootsChat.
I can't see anything in the newspapers to indicate it was used as a influenza hospital but a report of a strike by 180 attendants in Nov 1918 gives the number of inmates as 1500 so once flu got into the asylum you would expect quite a lot of deaths with such a large number of people.

[SiGr]

Hi, Sinaan. Thank you for your swift comment. Having done a brief bit of research about Ballinasloe, it sounds like somewhere people did not want to go to if they could help it. There is no family knowledge of committal but I suspect people were less comfortable talking about mental health issues in the past. ATB.