The Land War in Ireland: Famine, Philanthropy and Moonlighting

This book explores the themes of famine, humanitarianism, and agrarian secret societies in late nineteenth-century Ireland's Land War, addressing perceived gaps in historiography. It discusses the financial and administrative support provided by wealthier sectors of society, the anger and frustration of the famine-stricken peasantry towards the government and landlords, and the concern of marginal men and women for their less fortunate brethren. The volume also features the activities of secret societies, such as the Royal Irish Republic, and connects them to the neglected 1914 drama The Moonlighter by Kerry playwright George Fitzmaurice.

Format: Hardback
Publication date: 31 March 2023
Publisher: Cork University Press

This book delves into the perceived gaps in the historiography of the Land War in late nineteenth-century Ireland, particularly in addressing the themes of famine, humanitarianism, and the activities of agrarian secret societies, often referred to as "Moonlighting." The famine that struck the country in 1879-80, one generation removed from the devastating Great Famine of the 1840s, elicited diverse social responses. The wealthier sectors of society, awakened by their consciousness and humanitarianism, provided the bulk of the financial and administrative support for the famine-stricken peasantry. On the other hand, some individuals, drawn from the same broad social stratum as the latter, vented their anger and frustration towards the government and landlords, whom they blamed for the crisis. It is important to note that the concern of marginalized men and women for the welfare of their less fortunate brethren was not necessarily an antithesis of altruism but rather a different, more rudimentary way of expressing it.

The volume's opening chapter introduces the famine that ravaged Ireland's Atlantic seaboard counties in the late 1870s and early 1880s. The subsequent four chapters delve deeper into the famine theme, focusing on the roles of civic and religious relief agencies and the local and international humanitarian response to appeals for assistance. The 1879-80 famine sparked benevolence among the diasporic Irish and the charitable worldwide, but it also provoked a more primal reaction. The book's closing chapters are dedicated to exploring the activities of secret societies.

The first chapter features the incongruously named Royal Irish Republic, a neo-Fenian combination in north-west County Cork. The concluding essay in the volume connects history and literature, positing a connection between agrarian secret society activity during the Land War and the literary representation of the period. By examining these themes, the book offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the Land War and its historical context.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781782055525