History

Dundrum itself has a rich heritage and vibrant community which continues to evolve and grow. In recent decades, Dundrum has seen major infrastructural improvements including the Luas, a new road network and significant commercial and retail development

The hospital originally opened as the Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum for Ireland at Dundrum in Dublin in 1850. This was an early move of an ideological initiative throughout the United Kingdom and its colonies which included the building of the infamous Broadmoor Hospital in England. The site was originally chosen to be soothing to mental health patients and was intentionally not linked to any particular prison service to maintain the distinction between criminality and illness.

It is stated to be the first forensic mental hospital in Britain or Ireland. Its original title was the Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Prior to the existence of the Dundrum asylum, the mentally ill who had committed a crime were confined to prison, and received no treatment for their illness.

In the early years of the 19th century, the authorities began to come to the opinion that those whose crimes arose solely from the fact that they were mentally ill, generally referred to at the time as ‘Lunatics’ or more politely ‘Insane Persons’, would be more appropriately confined to a secure hospital than to a prison.

The 19th century was a time when it was believed that society would benefit and be improved by the construction of a large number and wide variety of institutions in which certain classes of people could be housed, cared for and supported, sometimes whether they liked it or not. It is important to remember that the Central Mental Hospital Dundrum was built and run as a hospital not a prison, care not punishment. It is also important to remember that, particularly in the early days, most, nearly all, of the patients committed to the Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum were poor. It is likely that the facilities in the asylum were far more comfortable than where the patients came from – warm, dry, clean, decent food, outdoor space and clean air.

It operated right through out the 20^th century witnessing an extensive number of in patients, community of employees and local workers and the evolution of mental health and prison systems.