The Workhouse Drawings collection contains a representative sample of drawings, plans, and documents drawn from the Irish Architectural Archive's Workhouse Collection. The Workhouse Collection (reference 85/138) in the Irish Architectural Archive includes surviving drawings for workhouses built in Ireland to provide relief for the poor. Built between 1839 and 1847, the workhouses were designed in a Tudor domestic idiom by architect George Wilkinson. Occasionally drawings are accompanied by other documents including the standard printed specification or, more rarely, items of correspondence. Many are in extremely poor condition and their extreme fragility precludes public access. This online collection provides access to drawings and documents relating to the Mallow, Castleblayney, Lismore, and Gorey workhouses. The drawings for Mallow Workhouse may be considered a representative set of the surviving drawings for the Tudor style workhouses built by Wilkinson. The majority of the drawings were produced mechanically (engraved and printed). The inclusion of drawings from Castleblayney, Lismore, and Gorey, in addition to those of Mallow, ensures that this online collection includes samples of each printed drawing.

A collection of photographs from the albums of G. & T. Crampton, one of Dublin's best-known construction companies. The photographs were intended as a record of the building projects which the firm undertook rather than a formal archive. They cover a wide range of buildings including commercial buildings, shops, houses, hospitals, and factories. The projects covered by the collection include new builds, renovations, extensions, and restorations. While the firm has undertaken work throughout Ireland, the majority of the photographs are of projects in the Dublin area.

The Dublin Town Planning Competition was held in 1914, with the aim to "elicit Plans and Reports of a preliminary and suggestive character, and thus obtain contributions and alternatives which may be of value towards the guidance of the future development of the City in its various directions". The Dublin civic survey report refers to the competition as the Aberdeen Competition, probably due to the prize for the best design which was presented by the Marquis of Aberdeen and Temair. Eight entries were submitted in total, each relating to the Greater Dublin area, taking in Howth, Glasnevin, Ashtown, Dundrum and Dalkey. The main headings for the proposals included: 1. Communications; 2. Housing; and 3. Metropolitan improvements. The submission by Patrick Abercrombie, Sydney Kelly and Arthur Kelly was awarded the prize in 1916. Due to major political and historical events, the winning entry was not officially published until 1922, with the final Civic Report not published until 1925. Out of the eight entries, only three are known to have survived.

[Letter from Frank Renaud (18 Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester) to William Frazer, mainly concerning examples of "post & pane houses".]

Circular from the Architects' Office, Poor Law Commission Office to clerks of works about the fitting of windows and instructions on keeping a notebook of 'every matter relating to the Building of a unsatisfactory nature'. This circular is from the documents relating to Castleblayney Workhouse.

As the printed specification had stipulated, these ironmongery elements were sourced and supplied centrally from Wilkinson's office. The list is divided into the following sections: Ledged and Sparred Doors, Doors to Store Rooms, Carpenter's Patent Locks, Stock Locks, Drawback Locks, Norfolk Thumb Latches, Bolts. Castleblayney Union Workhouse is now part of St. Mary's Hospital.

Circular from the Architects' Office, Poor Law Commission Office to clerks of works about the laying of flagging inside external doors and other details about the construction of external doors. This circular is from the documents relating to Castleblayney Workhouse.

The Fifth Annual Report of the Poor Law Commissioners, May 1839. Includes details of "the measures which [the Commissioners] have adopted for introducing into Ireland the provision of the Act of last session, for the more effectual Relief of the Destitute Poor in Ireland". The Appendices which accompany the Report contain 'Documents Issues by the Board Under the Irish Poor relief Act', with Section 9 consisting of 'Papers as to the Providing of Workhouses in Ireland' and Section 10 consisting of 'Plans, &c., of Workhouses for Ireland, to contain from 400 to 800 paupers'. Two ground plans were included, one for a 400 to 500 person workhouse and one for an 800 person workhouse. Each plan was accompanied by a 'Bird’s Eye View Shewing the General Arrangement' for the building. These drawings constitute templates for the Tudor-style first wave of workhouses by architect George Wilkinson from which the constructed buildings did not significantly deviate. An important feature of the design was its flexibility; "the pans [were] so arranged as to allow of [an] addition being made without either interfering with the part already executed, or occasioning any sacrifice of the previous outlay".

Note to a Mr Stuart requesting that he inspect a ventilator at Mallow 'which admits rain & ascertain the cause' and that he mark on the ground plan 'the exact arrangement of all the steps and inclines to the fronts of the Doorways' and the exact locations of drains. This note is from the documents relating to Mallow Workhouse.

Circular from the Architects' Office, Poor Law Commission Office to clerks of works advising them on actions to take in the event of frost damage. This circular is from the documents relating to Castleblayney Workhouse.

Drawing of 16-17 College Green, new premises constructed by G. & T. Crampton for Guinness Mahon and Co. in 1930-1931. The architect was Robert Donnelly of Donnelly, Moore, & Keatinge.

Circular from the Architects' Office, Poor Law Commission Office to clerks of works about the proper construction and fitting of windows. This circular is from the documents relating to Castleblayney Workhouse.