Treating Ulster's rural poor: the county infirmaries of Armagh and Down 1766-1851

This paper considers the role of county infirmaries in providing health care for the inhabitants of two counties in south-east Ulster. It traces the establishment and management of these institutions from their beginnings shortly after the passing of the Infirmaries Act (1765) to the middle of the nineteenth century. From the available evidence, the accommodation, staff, patient numbers and diet of the infirmaries are considered and an assessment of their efficacy in offering a valuable service to their communities is discussed.