Search Ireland poor law reports

There are six titles included in this collection of poor law reports:

• Parliamentary Report (Distress Ireland), Treasury Minute and First Report of the Relief Commissioners, published by William Clowes and Sons in 1847 – This publication is the first report of the new relief system put in place to handle the calamitous impact of famine on the Irish people. The report details many issues facing Ireland at this time. In particular, the growing number of destitute and how to alleviate their burden, as well as details pertaining to the new relief scheme and how it differs from previous attempts. Appendixes include additional useful information, including further details regarding the new relief scheme and sample forms used by the Finance Committees and Relief Committees.
• The Evils of the State of Ireland; Their Causes and Their Remedy – A Poor Law, authored by John Revans and published by John Harchard and Son in 1837 – The ideas that Revans puts forth in this publication were ultimately deemed too radical for adoption (such as fair rents and minimum living wages), but they represent the argument for equitable poor law relief in Ireland at this time.
• 7th Annual Report of the Commissioners for Administering the Law for Relief of the Poor in Ireland, 1854, published by Alexander Thom & Sons in 1854 – The bulk of the report is its appendixes: Appendix A, Circulars of Instruction Issued by the Commissioners and Correspondence to and form the Commissioners, and Appendix B, Tables.
• 10th Annual Report of the Commissioners for Administering the Laws for Relief of the Poor in Ireland, 1857, published by Alexander Thom & Sons in 1857 – The bulk of the report is its appendixes: Appendix A, Circulars of Instruction Issued by the Commissioners and Correspondence to and form the Commissioners, and Appendix B, Tables.
• 11th Annual Report of the Commissioners for Administering the Law for Relief of the Poor in Ireland, 1858, published by Alexander Thom & Sons in 1858 – The bulk of the report is its appendixes: Appendix A, Circulars of Instruction Issued by the Commissioners and Correspondence to and form the Commissioners, and Appendix B, Tables. A subject of note is the information relating to the removal of the poor to Ireland from England and Scotland.
• 14th Annual Report of the Commissioners for Administering the Laws for Relief of the Poor in Ireland, 1861, published by Alexander Thom & Sons in 1861— The bulk of the report is its appendixes, particularly, Appendix A, Circulars of Instruction Issued by the Commissioners and Correspondence to and form the Commissioners, and Appendix B, Tables. Of note, the report details the upset facing the Erris district following the failure of the oat and potato crops.

The Irish Poor Law Act of 1838 created the system of poor law unions in Ireland, which established 130 poor law unions. Under this system, the poor received relief, either from a workhouse or outdoor relief (which included money, goods, clothing, or food), which was provided for by poor rates assessed under the poor law valuation.

Boards of Guardians would administer workhouses, which were set up within poor law unions, usually at its center. Between 1838 and 1852, there were 163 workhouses erected in Ireland.

In the Irish Free State, poor law unions were abolished in 1925, with the responsibility of poor relief being transferred to County Boards of Health and County Boards of Public Assistance. In Northern Ireland, poor law unions were abolished in 1948 with the introduction of the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Service.