The tragedy that struck Ireland between 1845 and 1852 is often viewed through the lens of cold-hearted bureaucrats, greedy merchants or indifferent landlords who put profit, principles of political economy, and prejudice against the Irish poor, above the need to save lives. This ground-breaking volume examines the contributions of the numerous men and women who risked their lives—and sometimes their livelihoods—in caring for the sick and the starving.
The tragedy that struck Ireland between 1845 and 1852 is often viewed through the lens of cold-hearted bureaucrats, greedy merchants or indifferent landlords who put profit, principles of political economy, and prejudice against the Irish poor, above the need to save lives. This ground-breaking volume examines the contributions of the numerous men and women who risked their lives—and sometimes their livelihoods—in caring for the sick and the starving. This publication examines the uplifting contributions of numerous individuals who combatted hunger, famine and disease in the mid-nineteenth century in order to save the lives of strangers. At a time that the world is struggling with the deadly COVID pandemic and its aftermath, these stories are a tribute to all forgotten or nameless caregivers and front-line workers. Despite these generous interventions, over one million died in Ireland from disease and starvation, another 2.1 million left Ireland between 1845 and 1855, more than had emigrated from Ireland over the previous two-and-a-half centuries. While some names might be familiar due to the large body of research undertaken on the Great Famine since 1995, a number will be less so. Individually and collectively, their contributions to saving the people from starvation and death and giving them hope cannot be understated, nor should the personal and professional sacrifice that they made on behalf of the Irish poor be forgotten.
