Christmas Dinner in Nenagh Workhouse in 1872 - grumblings over the soup

At a meeting of the Nenagh Board of Guardians, the clerk read the following report from the Master’s book: “We attended this day to see the Christmas dinner served out to the paupers, and found it was ready in good time, of excellent quality and ample. We inspected the body of the house, the two infirmaries and the fever hospital. The entire of the house is clean, and in good order, and everything reflected credit on the officers of the house. The master asked for special leave to spend the evening with his family, which was granted, the schoolmaster undertaking to attend to his (the master’s) duties. Some of the women complained of the soup given daily.

Signed, John Ryan, Fitzwilliam Welsh.

In reference to the soup, Mr Welsh remarked that some of the paupers said it was nothing but salt and water; more said it was very bad, and others that it was good; then in came the master, when they all said the soup was good.

Mrs Walsh happened to be present at the time, and some of the paupers called her aside and told her that they were in dread of the master to say the soup was bad before.

Mr Ryan – “There are some paupers in the house that would complain if they got champagne or turtle soup. I never saw anything better than the beef yesterday. I never saw a better dinner of the kind.”

Mr Head - “I do not think any man in the land sat down to a better beef dinner.”

After some conversation about keeping occasional fires in the empty rooms of the fever hospital, Mr Welsh suggested the propriety of appointing a committee to examine the soup at unexpected intervals.

Mr Poe said a Visiting Committee had been already appointed, who could come in at any time.

It was remarked that the committee alluded to by Mr Poe had not attended for the last ten months.

Mr Walsh – “There is no use in appointing a committee if they do not attend.”

Mr Poe said whenever he went through the House there was not any complaints about the soup. His opinion was that there was more attention paid to the comforts of the paupers at Nenagh than in many workhouses in Ireland. The guardians were well aware that the paupers were always ready to growl and complain; and if the soup was bad they would not wait till Christmas Day to complain of it.

Mr Ryan – “If there was one ounce of bread short you would soon see what a row they would kick up.”

Mr Poe suggested that two guardians be appointed to come in occasionally to inspect the soup, and that Mr Welsh be one of them.

In reply to Mr Head, the master said the soup was made of beef, meal, onions and pepper. They did not vary it.

Mr Head remarked that the beef now sent in was really good.