Dr. BARNARDO’S HOMES
 NORTHERN IRELAND
SORTED BY COUNTY

Please help with the upkeep of this web site we need your memories and old photos of your time in care. If your old home is not listed and you have a photo and relevant information please send via email for inclusion.

Dr. Barnardo’s opened hundreds of children’s homes across the UK from Thomas Barnardo’s day until the 1970’s. During World War II the government required owners of large buildings, in particular stately homes, to use their buildings for the war effort. Some became hospitals for the war wounded, others centres of Allied operations, whilst others offered their homes for orphanages. Lots of Dr. Barnardo children were evacuated to these large stately homes in the country, away from the nightly bombing raids. I have listed the homes I found information even though they were returned to the owner after the war as for some these were the only Dr. Barnardo home they knew.

Today Barnardo's don’t run orphanages or children’s homes. This is a directory of all the homes that are listed for Northern Ireland and what happened to them. From 1960 children were no longer sent over the water to England and the Dublin sub-office opened. Click on any name for a photo and some information, those that are in bold print have further information or memories added of the old Home, some have a link to a web site.

Most of the photographs listed were taken in 1956 in black and white, presumably to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Dr. Barnardo Homes. Some of the photos have been scanned from old magazines so the quality of some of the photographs are poor. The most important thing is you send some background information on your old home, please click here  and just add your memories or photos. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY MORE OLD HOMES? or can you add to this archive.

All information and photographs held within this web site are Barnardo’s © copyright  and should not be copied or shared without Barnardo's express permission.