Books for the New Year



I know that no one wants to talk about New Year Resolutions but I am very happy with my vow to use the local library more. It is a win/win situation. The library gets user support, which is increasingly important in the wake of so many library closures. As the saying goes, if you don't use it, you lose it! After all, what's not to love about lots and lots of free books, and getting a healthy time-out from digital devices. Libraries are especially important if, like me, you don't have the money to splash out on rare or special interest books. With this in mind let's have a look at some of the great workhouse books that are out there, all of which I have borrowed from my local library in Portumna.



Grim Bastilles of Despair by Paschal Mahoney is one of the latest books to be written specifically about Irish workhouses. Do not be put off by the title. This volume is a series of essays which makes it really easy to read. Paschal is an architect, so this volume focuses more on the engineering/architecture than other books. The volume is beautifully printed and we quickly sold out of all our copies at the Irish Workhouse shop. 




Irish Famine Workhouse by Pat Hegarty is the story of Declan and his family as they are evicted from their home during the height of the Great Irish Famine. Through a fictional diary we are given a window into what it was like to live during the famine and the experience of surviving in a workhouse. This may be a kids book but I loved the pop-up pages (possibly because I am a big kid myself) and my two little nieces really enjoyed looking at it with me. It was the first time I was able to introduce them to the history behind The Irish Workhouse Centre. 



The Making of the Irish Poor Law by Peter Gray is one for serious history geeks but I had to include it. This book is full of ground-breaking research and transformed the way I think about how workhouses came to Ireland. What I especially loved is how historian Peter Gray has trawled through family papers to find direct quotes from the politicians involved in poor law debates. The reader gets to hear public and private 19th century opinions about Ireland and the problems of poverty.  

These are just a small sample of books. If you are interested in workhouse history put away the credit card and whip out your library card:-) Post a comment if you know of any other great Irish history books.

Author: Elizabeth Carter

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