Landed Estates
University of Galway

Wilson's Hospital

Estate(s)
Townland Heathland
Civil Parish Lackan
PLU Mullingar
DED Ballinaleck 90
County Westmeath
Barony Corkaree
Description Wilson's Hospital School erected on the summit of a hill, was founded by a trust set up by Andrew Wilson of Piersfield [Piercefield]. The National Built Heritage Service records that Wilson stated in his will of 1724 that in the event of there being no direct male heirs to his estate that it, and all its profits, be transferred to the Church of Ireland hierarchy and used to build a hospital for aged Protestant men and a school for poor Protestant boys. This was the case by 1743 and the school was completed in 1761. ‘Wilson's Hospital is one of the finest and most sophisticated mid-Georgian buildings constructed outside of Dublin. Its design has been attributed John Pentland, a noted architect of his day, and it is built in the style of a Palladian country house’ (boi). It is a seven-bay two-storey building which was valued at £90 at the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) and continues to function as a secondary co-educational boarding school today.

Property Location