The Churches of Newport
The Influence of Faith Prejudice and Attitude on Famine Relief in the Barony of Burrishoole
Margaret Nyland 01/05/2014
Although Ireland suffered horrific famines throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Great Famine of 1845-1852 is remembered as the most devastating event in Irish history. The main cause of the Great Famine was the failure of the potato crop due to potato blight. The Famine took its greatest toll in the poorer western seaboard regions, where the population relied on subsistence farming and the potato was the staple diet.The Barony of Burrishoole is on this western seaboard.
Since 1990, there has been a huge increase in publications dealing with the Famine nationwide. There has not been a corresponding increase in local history publications, nor have many authors tackled the painful subject of the influence that religious, racial and class prejudice played in Famine relief. This site, which is based on research undertaken for a dissertation, will attempt to fill both gaps, by examining the role that prejudice and religious division played in Famine relief in Newport town and the Barony of Burrishoole. |
Please click on the links below for information on:
The Historical Background The Influence of Prejudice on British and Irish Opinion The Influence of the Protestant Evangelical Movement Famine Relief. Further Reading |