The Poor Law in Ireland 1838-1948 (Studies in Irish Economic and Social History)

For almost one hundred years, the poor law was the main source of poor relief in Ireland. Introduced as a safety net to protect the destitute, the system expanded over the course of the nineteenth century to encompass the preservation of public health as well as the relief of poverty. This booklet provides the first general, comprehensive account of the poor law system in Ireland from its introduction in 1838 to its abolition in the Irish Free State in 1925, and in Northern Ireland in 1948.