A Manx historian has released his fourth book which looks at the history of the now demolished Ballamona Hospital.

‘Ballamona Hospital, The Complete History - Modernising Mental Health Care on the Isle of Man' by John Manley looks at the former psychiatric hospital, which served as the island’s main mental health institution for much of the 20th century.

Speaking about the book and why he thinks the topic is important, John said: ‘I found it difficult to understand why no previous Manx historian had attempted to uncover this fascinating story.

‘I believe the 130-year history of the hospital is a major part of Manx history and should be available for the Manx public to digest and understand.

‘For 130 years, Ballamona Hospital was far from perfect, with its radical therapies for example, but it was a vast improvement on the previous situation, when Manx people suffering from mental illness were imprisoned in Castle Rushen or left to roam the island's streets.

‘This book reveals the true story of how people suffering from mental illness were treated on the Isle of Man before, during and after the existence of the hospital.

‘It is not always a comfortable read, but it is a story which should be told and not hidden.’

John’s research for the new book required lengthy, in-depth reading, with both the archives of the Isle of Man Public Record Office and the Manx National Heritage library containing sufficient material a deeper understanding of the Ballamona story.

‘The new book was without doubt the most intellectually demanding of my four books to date,’ John added.

‘It was a subject which obviously demanded tact and sensitivity.

‘I contacted several people who had previously worked at Ballamona Hospital and they kindly assisted me in assembling a fuller picture of the hospital's history, particularly in relation to more modern times.’

As well as deciding to write the story because of his own interest in the subject, John had heard about regret from those who worked within the hospital that no one had ever written in detail about the hospital's founding and its daily life.

‘Many hospital staff, over many generations, worked there all of their working lives and I wanted to provide those people, and the wider Manx public in general, with a complete picture of the Ballamona story,’ he said.

‘The hospital, for many Manx families of both staff and patients, was a significant factor in their entire existence.’

John’s fourth book, as with his previous three, has been published locally by Lily Publication based in Ramsey.

The new book will be available in Manx bookshops at the end of this month, priced at £19.99, and it is currently available for pre-order from the Bridge bookshops in Ramsey and Port Erin or direct by emailing [email protected].

The book will also be stocked by The Book Company in Castle Street, Douglas and in the Manx National Heritage retail outlets at the Manx Museum and House of Manannan.