The Great Famine in Ireland and Britain's Financial Crisis

This book offers a new interpretation of the Great Famine in Ireland, linking policy failure to financial and political instability in Great Britain. It reveals a hidden narrative of the crisis, highlighting the British government's lack of a Parliamentary majority, financial crises, and a battle of ideas over monetary policy as key factors in hindering relief efforts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 366 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

This book offers a groundbreaking analysis of British politics and policy failings during the Great Famine, a devastating humanitarian crisis that struck Ireland in the 1840s. Rich in archival detail, it presents a radically new interpretation of the events that unfolded during this period.

The Irish famine of the 1840s is considered the biggest humanitarian crisis in the history of the United Kingdom. Within six years of the arrival of the potato blight in Ireland in 1845, more than a quarter of its residents had unexpectedly died or emigrated. The population of Ireland has not yet fully recovered since.

Historians have struggled to explain why the British government decided to shut down its centrally organized relief efforts in 1847, long before the famine ended. Some have blamed the laissez-faire attitudes of the time for an inadequate response by the British government, while others have alleged purposeful neglect and genocide.

In contrast, "The Great Famine in Ireland and Britain's Financial Crisis" uncovers a hidden narrative of the crisis, which links policy failure in Ireland to financial and political instability in Great Britain. The book argues that more than a laissez-faire ideology hindered relief efforts for Ireland. Rather, the British government's lack of a Parliamentary majority from 1846, the financial crises of 1847, and a battle of ideas over monetary policy between proponents and opponents of financial orthodoxy were the key factors that contributed to the high death toll in Ireland.

The book also highlights the role of the British government's plans for intervention in Ireland going awry, rather than being prematurely canceled due to laissez-faire. The high death toll resulted from the British government's attempts to address the crisis through coercive measures, such as the Poor Law and the Corn Laws, which exacerbated the suffering of the Irish people.

This book is essential reading for scholars, students, and anyone interested in Anglo-Irish relations, the history of financial crises and famines, and the complexities of humanitarian-relief efforts. It provides a detailed and nuanced account of a tragic period in Irish history that has far-reaching implications for our understanding of political and economic systems.

Weight: 564g
Dimension: 157 x 233 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783277278