Background
Most landlords protestant. Many absentee. Gale day (landlord’s agent). Large farmers (30 acres +). Sublet to small farmers and cottiers. Spailpeens were wandering labourers.
Country divided into Poor Law Unions and each had a workhouse. Only the really badly off would go there (families split up, like prison).
Causes
- Rise in population
- Subdivision
- Dependence on the potato
- The Blight
What was done
- 1845 Peel’s government bought maize (Indian corn) and set up Public Works Schemes.
- 1846 Russel’s liberal government did not want to interfere and abandoned the above.
- Soup kitchens were set up by the Quakers and the government but the government abandoned the idea in 1847.
- The workhouses catered for 200000 and eventually were allowed provide soup kitchens.
Results
- 1 million died of disease and starvation
- 1 million emigrated by 1851 (coffin ships)
- Push and pull causes left 4 million by 1900
- Decline of Irish language
- Subdivision ended
- New catholic landlords
- Hatred for Britain