Portumna Heritage Trail

26. Labourers’ Cottages

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The Local Government (Ireland) Act of 1898 established County Councils and Rural District Councils. The Rural District Councils operated from 1899 to 1925 when they were dissolved and their functions taken over by County Councils. They had responsibility for the erection and maintenance of water pumps, sanitation building labourers’ cottages.

In August 1907 a scheme was approved by Portumna District Council for the building of 152 labourers’ cottages in the Portumna Union and by 1921 the Council had provided 131 of these at an average cost of £170 each.

Under the provisions of the Labourers’ Act, 1936 Galway County Board of Health built a number of labourers’ cottages in the Portumna parish in 1938 at St Brendan’s Road, Attigara, Townparks, Portumna Demesne, Workhouse Road, Corr and Oultort.

A purchase scheme was put in place that enabled the tenants to become owners on payment of a terminable annuity.