The Irish Poor Laws were a series of Acts of Parliament intended to address social instability due to widespread and persistent poverty in Ireland. While some legislation had been introduced by the pre-Union Parliament of Ireland prior to the Act of Union, the most radical and comprehensive attempt was the Irish act of 1838, closely modelled on the English Poor Law of 1834. In England, this replaced Elizabethan era legislation which had no equivalent in Ireland.
In 1703, the Irish Parliament passed an act for "Providing the erection of a workhouse and for the maintenance and apprenticing out of foundling children". By 1771, there were Houses of Industry in every county and by 1833, the total cost was £32,967.[1]
Post-Union
Until 1838, the use of 'Houses of industry' was on a much smaller scale than in England and Wales.[2]
During the Great Famine, workhouses became so overwhelmed that large numbers of paupers were assisted to emigrate. This had the effect of permitting more to enter the workhouse in the hope of escaping starvation and disease. In response, Guardian-assisted emigration was reserved only for those who had received indoor relief for over two years.[9]
After partition
Following the Partition of Ireland, in the independent Irish Free State, poor law unions and rural districts were abolished in 1925 and the powers of boards of guardians transferred to the county councils' County Boards of Health or County Boards of Public Assistance.[2][10]
^"History & Heritage > Poor Law Union > Poor Law Unions and their Records > The Union". AskAboutIreland. An Chomhairle Leabharlanna. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^O'Brien, Gerard (November 1982). "The Establishment of Poor-Law Unions in Ireland, 1838–43". Irish Historical Studies. Cambridge University Press. 23 (90): 97–120. JSTOR 30008402.
^Nicholls, George (1856). A History of the Irish Poor Law: In Connexion with the Condition of the People. J. Murray. p. 423. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^ ab"History & Heritage > Poor Law Union > Poor Law Unions and their Records > The Establishment of the Poor Law System". AskAboutIreland. An Chomhairle Leabharlanna. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^"Browse > Census > 1871 > Ireland > Alphabetical index to townlands of Ireland, 1871". HISTPOP.ORG. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
Torrens, RobertPlan of an association in aid of the Irish Poor Law (1838)
Poulett Scrope, George – Letters to the Right Hon. Lord John Russell, on the expediency of enlarging the Irish poor-law to the full extent of the poor-law of England (1846)
19th century
O'Connor, John The Workhouses of Ireland: The Fate of Ireland's Poor 1995 : ISBN978-0-947962-71-5
Crossman, Virginia Politics, Pauperism and Power in Late Nineteenth-century Ireland : 2006 : ISBN978-0-7190-7377-9
Burke, Helen The people and the poor law in 19th century Ireland : 1987 : ISBN978-0-905223-94-0
*Butt, IsaacThe poor-law bill for Ireland examined, its provisions and the report of Mr. Nicholls contrasted ... (1837) at Internet Archive.
MacDonagh, Oliver : : in Christus Rex – Studies in Irish History : January 1958
irish, poor, laws, were, series, acts, parliament, intended, address, social, instability, widespread, persistent, poverty, ireland, while, some, legislation, been, introduced, union, parliament, ireland, prior, union, most, radical, comprehensive, attempt, ir. The Irish Poor Laws were a series of Acts of Parliament intended to address social instability due to widespread and persistent poverty in Ireland While some legislation had been introduced by the pre Union Parliament of Ireland prior to the Act of Union the most radical and comprehensive attempt was the Irish act of 1838 closely modelled on the English Poor Law of 1834 In England this replaced Elizabethan era legislation which had no equivalent in Ireland This former workhouse is located in Dunfanaghy Donegal Contents 1 Pre Union 2 Post Union 2 1 Poor Law Unions 2 2 Emigration 3 After partition 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 6 1 Contemporary accounts 6 2 19th century 6 3 20th century 7 External linksPre Union EditFurther information Foundling Hospitals In 1703 the Irish Parliament passed an act for Providing the erection of a workhouse and for the maintenance and apprenticing out of foundling children By 1771 there were Houses of Industry in every county and by 1833 the total cost was 32 967 1 Post Union EditUntil 1838 the use of Houses of industry was on a much smaller scale than in England and Wales 2 Poor Law Unions Edit Main article Poor law unions The report of the Royal Commission on the Poorer Classes in Ireland 1833 led to the Irish Poor Law Act of 1838 under which three poor law commissioners divided Ireland into poor law unions in which paupers would receive poor relief either workhouse or outdoor relief paid for by a poor rate based on a poor law valuation 3 4 The name union was retained from the English union of parishes model although the Irish union boundaries diverged greatly from those of the civil parishes A union was named after the town on which it was centred where its workhouse was located Unions were defined as groups of poor law electoral divisions in turn defined as groups of townlands Electoral divisions returned members to the board of guardians with voters who paid higher rates having more votes 5 6 During and after the Great Famine boundaries in the impoverished west were redrawn to create more and smaller union for easier administration When the Irish General Register Office was established in 1864 each union became a superintendent registrar s district with groups of electoral divisions forming a dispensary or registrar s district 7 8 The Local Government Ireland Act 1898 divided administrative counties into urban and rural districts with each rural district corresponding to the non urban portion of a poor law union within the county Emigration Edit Further information Great Famine Ireland During the Great Famine workhouses became so overwhelmed that large numbers of paupers were assisted to emigrate This had the effect of permitting more to enter the workhouse in the hope of escaping starvation and disease In response Guardian assisted emigration was reserved only for those who had received indoor relief for over two years 9 After partition EditFollowing the Partition of Ireland in the independent Irish Free State poor law unions and rural districts were abolished in 1925 and the powers of boards of guardians transferred to the county councils County Boards of Health or County Boards of Public Assistance 2 10 In Northern Ireland poor law unions survived until the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Service in 1948 7 See also EditScottish Poor Law English Poor Law List of Irish Poor Law UnionsReferences Edit George O Brien the Economic History of Ireland From the Union to the Famine 1921 p 168 a b Poor Law Unions in Ireland Archived from the original on 29 May 2008 Retrieved 8 September 2007 Poor Relief Ireland Act 1838 Irish Statute Book Retrieved 6 May 2016 History amp Heritage gt Poor Law Union gt Poor Law Unions and their Records gt The Union AskAboutIreland An Chomhairle Leabharlanna Retrieved 6 May 2016 O Brien Gerard November 1982 The Establishment of Poor Law Unions in Ireland 1838 43 Irish Historical Studies Cambridge University Press 23 90 97 120 JSTOR 30008402 Nicholls George 1856 A History of the Irish Poor Law In Connexion with the Condition of the People J Murray p 423 Retrieved 6 May 2016 a b History amp Heritage gt Poor Law Union gt Poor Law Unions and their Records gt The Establishment of the Poor Law System AskAboutIreland An Chomhairle Leabharlanna Retrieved 6 May 2016 Browse gt Census gt 1871 gt Ireland gt Alphabetical index to townlands of Ireland 1871 HISTPOP ORG Retrieved 6 May 2016 The Irish poor law Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 27 05 1925 Adaptation Of Children s Act 1908 Order 1925 Irish Statute Book Retrieved 6 May 2016 Further reading EditContemporary accounts Edit Nassau William Senior Letter on a legal provision for the Irish poor 1831 Poulett Scrope George Necessity of Poor Law for Ireland in Principles of political economy 1833 English tourist EG Inglis visits Dublin s Mendicity Institute House of Industry and Foundling Hospital 1834 Selection of Parochial Examinations Relative to the Destitute Classes in Ireland Royal Commission of Enquiry 1835 George Nicholls Poor laws Ireland Three reports 1838 Torrens Robert Plan of an association in aid of the Irish Poor Law 1838 Poulett Scrope George Letters to the Right Hon Lord John Russell on the expediency of enlarging the Irish poor law to the full extent of the poor law of England 1846 19th century Edit O Connor John The Workhouses of Ireland The Fate of Ireland s Poor 1995 ISBN 978 0 947962 71 5 Crossman Virginia Politics Pauperism and Power in Late Nineteenth century Ireland 2006 ISBN 978 0 7190 7377 9 Burke Helen The people and the poor law in 19th century Ireland 1987 ISBN 978 0 905223 94 0 Butt Isaac The poor law bill for Ireland examined its provisions and the report of Mr Nicholls contrasted 1837 at Internet Archive MacDonagh Oliver The Poor Law Emigration and the Irish Question 1830 55 in Christus Rex Studies in Irish History January 1958 Gray Peter The Making of the Irish Poor Law 1815 43 MUP 2009 ISBN 978 0 7190 7649 7 Collison Black R D Economic Thought and the Irish Question 1817 1870 1993 reprint of 1960 ISBN 978 0 7512 0124 620th century Edit Anderson James Pauperism Poor Relief in Ireland Some Suggestions from Ireland s Hope A Call to Service 1913Kely G O Donnell A Kennedy P Quin S Irish Social Policy In Context 1999 Dublin University College Dublin PressExternal links EditExternal image Map of Poor Law Unions 1842 49The Workhouse in Ireland Hidden Wexford Genealogy births in the Wexford Workhouse 1851 1893 Elements of Irish Poor Law Repealed Irish Statute Book Irish Poor Law Union and their Records from Ask About Ireland an Irish government sponsored portal Guide to the records of the Poor Law from the National Archives of Ireland The Irish Poor Law and the Great Famine Condition of the poorer classes in Ireland first report appendix A and supplement 1835 Whately report 1218 pages available through EPPI List of Irish Workhouse Unions at the Wayback Machine archived 6 October 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Irish Poor Laws amp oldid 1145087437, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
