The Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór) was one of the most devastating humanitarian disasters of the nineteenth century. In a period of only five years, Ireland lost approximately one-quarter of her ...population through a combination of death and emigration. Yet this tragedy occurred at the heart of the vast, and resource-rich, British Empire. The imperial government, however, chose not to use its resources to come to the aid of the Irish poor. Historians continue to debate the extent to which the British government was culpable for this tragedy. This article examines a lesser-known aspect of the Great Hunger, that is, the extent to which people throughout the world mobilized to provide money, food and clothing to assist the starving Irish. Helped by developments in transport and communications, newspapers throughout the world reported on the suffering in Ireland. This prompted fund-raising on an unprecedented scale, which cut across religious, ethnic, social and gender distinctions, with donations coming from as far away as Australia, China, India and South America. Many who gave so generously had no direct connection with Ireland. This paper will explore the private relief given to Ireland during these tragic years, which one volunteer described as ‘a labour of love’. The ideological context in which both charity and poor relief existed will also be briefly examined
The historiography of the Great Famine in Ireland has largely been concerned with the role played by the British Government in providing relief in the years after 1845. Less attention has been given ...to the involvement of private charity. Private relief, however, played a crucial role in saving lives throughout the Famine. Moreover, its interventions were often swift, practical, and less hampered by the bureaucratic restrictions that slowed down, and at times rendered ineffective, much government relief. While the contribution of the Society of Friends has been generally acknowledged in Famine historiography, the British Relief Association for the Relief of Distress in Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland has received little scholarly attention. Nonetheless, the latter organization raised double the amount of money that was donated to the Quakers. This article will examine the origins, activities and impact of the British Relief Association.
'This book, informed by exceptionally wide inquiry into current history teaching practices in the English-speaking world, is a real achievement. The authors convey current context and challenges with ...great insight, and they move through possibilities in sequencing, content, skills and assessment, without strident comment, extending our knowledge of options and pitfalls in the process' - Peter N. Stearns, Provost, George Mason University 'Comprehensive, persuasive, and at all times accessible in style and argument, this text both encourages and empowers university historians to review and enhance their teaching practices. All key facets of programme development are explored with reference to an extensive and well-chosen range of international examples. The chapter on the historian's skills and qualities of mind is one of several that I will be referring to frequently' - Jeanine Graham, Senior Lecturer, History, University of Waikato'... the varied findings make fascinating reading ... this book should be required reading for everyone involved in teaching history: there is plenty here for us all to learn from' - ESCalate 'In providing such a clear, informative and thoughtful exploration of the current state of history in higher education, and in helping to raise the quality of critical debate about its future, this book contributes greatly to the growing scholarship of teaching and learning in the discipline. It should also become a vital resource for all historians who wish to honour the old dictum that, in teaching as in research, the one duty we owe history is to rewrite it' - Professor Paul Hyland, Director of History in the Subject Centre for History, Classics and ArchaeologyOver the last 10 years or so, history as an academic discipline has become steeped in controversy and introspection. Additional areas of interest have opened up, fresh perspectives and approaches have been offered, and new teaching and learning strategies have been advocated. There has been an increasing emphasis on producing well-qualified graduates equipped with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to cope with the changing demands of the world of work.This book suggests how these issues may be managed. The authors identify and discuss the underlying principles, and consider ways in which they can be applied at module and programme levels.The Teaching & Learning in the Humanities series, edited by Ellie Chambers and Jan Parker, is for beginning and experienced lecturers. It deals with all aspects of teaching individual arts and humanities subjects in higher education. Experienced teachers offer authoritative suggestions on how to become critically reflective about discipline-specific practices.
The Hidden Famine Christine Kinealy; Gerard Mac Atasney
11/2015
eBook
Between 1845 and 1852 Ireland was devastated by the 'Great Hunger' – the most severe famine in modern European history. The view widely held by historians is that the impact of the Famine on the ...northern province of Ulster, in particular the largely Protestant city of Belfast, was minimal. In the first book on the Famine to focus specifically on Belfast, Christine Kinealy, one of Ireland’s leading historians of the period, and Gerard MacAtasney, challenge this view and offer a new interpretation. Drawing on a wealth of original research, Kinealy and MacAtasney begin with an examination of society and social behaviour in Belfast prior to 1845. They then assess the official response to the crisis by the British government, the response by the Church in both England and Ireland, and the part played by the local administration in Ulster. The authors examine the impact of the cholera epidemic on Belfast in 1849–50, the city's recovery after the Famine, and the beginnings of open sectarianism among the business and landed classes of the province.
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