Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland: The Kindness of StrangersThe Great Irish Famine was one of the most devastating humanitarian disasters of the nineteenth century. In a period of only five years, Ireland lost approximately 25% of its population through a combination of death and emigration. How could such a tragedy have occurred at the heart of the vast, and resource-rich, British Empire? Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland explores this question by focusing on a particular, and lesser-known, aspect of the Famine: that being the extent to which people throughout the world mobilized to provide money, food and clothing to assist the starving Irish. This book considers how, helped by developments in transport and communications, newspapers throughout the world reported on the suffering in Ireland, prompting funds to be raised globally on an unprecedented scale. Donations came from as far away as Australia, China, India and South America and contributors emerged from across the various religious, ethnic, social and gender divides. Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland traces the story of this international aid effort and uses it to reveal previously unconsidered elements in the history of the Famine in Ireland. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 15 | |
Chapter 2 Some great and terrible calamity1 Relief efforts from near and afar | 41 |
Chapter 3 A labour of love1 Quaker Charity | 63 |
Chapter 4 An ocean of benevolence1 The General Relief Committee of New York | 85 |
Chapter 5 Arise ye dead of Skibbereen1 Leading by example | 107 |
Chapter 6 This cruel calamity of scarcity1 The Role of the Catholic Church | 125 |
Chapter 7 How good people are1 The involvement of women | 143 |
Chapter 9 The brotherhood of mankind1 Donations to the British Relief Association | 195 |
Chapter 10 Without distinction of creed or party nation or colour1 American Aid | 221 |
Chapter 11 The most barbaric nation1 Evangelicals and Charity | 257 |
Thousands have by this means been saved1 | 277 |
Notes | 293 |
Appendix | 371 |
Bibliography | 377 |
| 399 | |
Other editions - View all
Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland: The Kindness of Strangers Christine Kinealy Limited preview - 2013 |
Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland: The Kindness of Strangers Christine Kinealy No preview available - 2013 |
Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland: The Kindness of Strangers Christine Kinealy No preview available - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
accessed activities addition American amount appeal Archbishop assistance August behalf Belfast believed Bishop British Relief Association Catholic charity Christian Church City clothing collected contributed Cork Cullen December destitute distress distribution districts donations Dublin early England English established Famine February formed fund-raising funds further Galway gave George given giving grants held History House Ibid included interventions involvement Ireland Irish poor Irish Relief James January John July June Ladies letter lives London Lord Lord John Russell March measures meeting Minister months Murray newspapers November October officers pointed political Poor Law potato present President Press Protestant proved Quakers raised received regarded Relief Committee Report response sent ship Society of Friends soup starving Strzelecki subscriptions suffering suggested throughout United University visited women York