Letter head of the infamous Irish Hospital’s Sweepstake

The Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake was established by the Free State government in 1930 as a way to finance the country’s health care system. Many tickets were sold illegally in Britain and the US.

In 1940 the Sweepstake moved to a permanent home in newly-built Ballsbridge offices, designed by John Joseph Robinson. The building was seen as the most striking example of Robinson’s modernist art-deco designs. The final Sweepstake was held in January 1986.

Permanent Collection

Watch a video showing New York winners of the Sweepstakes: