The Balrothery Poor Law Union was formally declared on the 1st April 1839 and covered an area of 120 square miles. Its operation was overseen by an elected Board of Guardians, 23 in number, representing its 12 electoral divisions as listed below (figures in brackets indicate numbers of Guardians if more than one):
Co. Dublin: Balbriggan (3), Ballyboghill, Balscaddan, Clonmethon, Donabate (2), Hollywood (2), Holmpatrick (2), Kilsallaghan (2), Kinsealy [Kinsaley], Lusk (3), Malahide (2), Swords (3).
The Board also included 7 ex-officio Guardians, making a total of 30. The population falling within the Union at the 1831 census had been 28,124 with Divisions ranging in size from Clonmethon (population 890) to Balbriggan (5,078).
The new Balrothery Union workhouse was erected on a 24-acre site about three miles to the north-west of Lusk. Designed by the Poor Law Commissioners' architect George Wilkinson, the building followed one of his standard designs to accommodate 400 inmates. Its construction cost £4,945 plus £905 for fittings etc. The site location and layout are shown on the 1909 OS map.
The workhouse was declared fit for the reception of paupers on 1st February, 1841, and received its first admissions on 15th March.
During the famine in the mid 1840s, a 48-bed fever hospital was erected at the east of the main building. Additional accommodation was provided by erecting additional sleeping galleries and by taking over the workhouse officers' accommodation. The workhouse had a burial ground situated across the main road, a quarter of a mile to the north-west of the workhouse.
During the First World War, the workhouse is believed to have been used to house Belgian refugees.
The buildings at the above coordinates no longer exist except for the derelict remains of a small part of the entrance block, and the chapel, which was originally the central rear section of the main building.
The Cache
The cache is not at the above coordinates
To find the cache you need to look for some simple clues but beware there are a few possible numbers just to try and trip you up :-)
Part One: go to N53 31.986 W6 11.726
Nearby there are two letters using ABC = 123ect convert the letters to numbers and call them Y. Z
Part Two: go to N53 31.977 W6 11.731 there you will see an enlightened number call it V.W
Final Location
N53 WV.9 (Zx3+V+W) W006 (9+W-V).(9-W+V)(9+Y+Z-W)
The Windsockers
www.geocachingireland.ie