The Irish Poor Laws were a series of Acts of Parliament intended to address social instability due to widespread and persistent poverty in Ireland. While some legislation had been introduced by the pre-Union
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland ( ga, Parlaimint na hÉireann) was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chamb ...
prior to the
Act of Union, the most radical and comprehensive attempt was the Irish act of 1838, closely modelled on the
English Poor Law of 1834. In England, this replaced Elizabethan era legislation which had no equivalent in Ireland.
Pre-Union
In 1703, the Irish Parliament passed an act for "Providing the erection of a workhouse and for the maintenance and apprenticing out of foundling children". By 1771, there were Houses of Industry in every county and by 1833, the total cost was £32,967.
Post-Union
Until 1838, the use of 'Houses of industry' was on a much smaller scale than in England and Wales.
Poor Law Unions
The report of the
Royal Commission on the Poorer Classes in Ireland 1833 led to the
Irish Poor Law Act of 1838
The Poor Relief (Ireland) Act 1838 (1 & 2 Vict, c. 56) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the system of poor relief in Ireland. The legislation was largely influenced by the English Poor Law Act 1834.
Following it ...
, under which three "poor law commissioners" divided Ireland into
poor law unions, in which paupers would receive
poor relief
In English and British history, poor relief refers to government and ecclesiastical action to relieve poverty. Over the centuries, various authorities have needed to decide whose poverty deserves relief and also who should bear the cost of hel ...
(either
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
or
outdoor relief
Outdoor relief, an obsolete term originating with the Elizabethan Poor Law (1601), was a program of social welfare and poor relief. Assistance was given in the form of money, food, clothing or goods to alleviate poverty without the requirement t ...
) paid for by a
poor rate
In England and Wales the poor rate was a tax on property levied in each parish, which was used to provide poor relief. It was collected under both the Old Poor Law and the New Poor Law. It was absorbed into 'general rate' local taxation in the 19 ...
based on a "poor law
valuation". The name "union" was retained from the English "union of parishes" model although the Irish union boundaries diverged greatly from those of the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
es. A union was named after the town on which it was centred, where its
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
was located. Unions were defined as groups of
poor law electoral divisions, in turn defined as groups of
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
s. Electoral divisions returned members to the
board of guardians
Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930.
England and Wales
Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the poor ...
, with voters who paid higher rates having
more votes.
During and after the
Great Famine, boundaries in the impoverished west were redrawn to create more and smaller union for easier administration. When the Irish
General Register Office
General Register Office or General Registry Office (GRO) is the name given to the civil registry in the United Kingdom, many other Commonwealth nations and Ireland. The GRO is the government agency responsible for the recording of vital record ...
was established in 1864, each union became a superintendent registrar's district, with groups of electoral divisions forming a
dispensary
A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispen ...
or registrar's district.
The
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, ...
divided
administrative counties
An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until either 1973 (in Northern Ireland) or 2002 (in the Republic of Ireland). They are now abolished, although mos ...
into
urban and rural districts, with each
rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...
corresponding to the non-urban portion of a poor law union within the county.
Emigration
During the
Great Famine,
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
s became so overwhelmed that large numbers of paupers were assisted to emigrate. This had the effect of permitting more to enter the workhouse in the hope of escaping starvation and disease. In response, Guardian-assisted emigration was reserved only for those who had received
indoor relief
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
for over two years.
After partition
Following the
Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland ( ga, crÃochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. I ...
, in the independent
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...
, poor law unions and rural districts were abolished in 1925 and the powers of boards of guardians transferred to the county councils' County Boards of Health or County Boards of Public Assistance.
In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, poor law unions survived until the
Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Service in 1948.
See also
*
Scottish Poor Law
The Scottish Poor Laws were the statutes concerning poor relief passed in Scotland between 1579 and 1929. Scotland had a different Poor Law system to England and the workings of the Scottish laws differed greatly to the Poor Law Amendment Act wh ...
*
English Poor Law
*
List of Irish Poor Law Unions
References
Further reading
Contemporary accounts
*
Nassau William Senior
Nassau William Senior (; 26 September 1790 – 4 June 1864), was an English lawyer known as an economist. He was also a government adviser over several decades on economic and social policy on which he wrote extensively.
Early life
He was born ...
â€
''Letter...on a legal provision for the Irish poor''(1831)
*
Poulett Scrope, Georgebr>
Necessity of Poor Law for Irelandin ''Principles of political economy'' (1833)
English tourist, EG Inglis, visits Dublin's Mendicity Institute, House of Industry and Foundling Hospital(1834)
Selection of Parochial Examinations Relative to the Destitute Classes in Ireland Royal Commission of Enquiry (1835)
*
George Nicholls â€
''Poor laws—Ireland: Three reports''(1838)
*
Torrens, Robertbr>
''Plan of an association in aid of the Irish Poor Law''(1838)
* Poulett Scrope, George â€
''Letters to the Right Hon. Lord John Russell, on the expediency of enlarging the Irish poor-law to the full extent of the poor-law of England''(1846)
19th century
*O'Connor, Joh
''The Workhouses of Ireland: The Fate of Ireland's Poor''1995 :
*Crossman, Virgini
''Politics, Pauperism and Power in Late Nineteenth-century Ireland'': 2006 :
* Burke, Hele
''The people and the poor law in 19th century Ireland'': 1987 :
* *
Butt, Isaacbr>
''The poor-law bill for Ireland examined, its provisions and the report of Mr. Nicholls contrasted ... (1837)''at
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
.
*MacDonagh, Oliver
The Poor Law, Emigration and the Irish Question 1830–'55: in ''Christus Rex – Studies in Irish History'' : January 1958
*Gray, Pete
The Making of the Irish Poor Law, 1815–43 MUP 2009
*
Collison Black, R.D â€
''Economic Thought and the Irish Question 1817–1870'' 1993 (reprint of 1960)
20th century
* Anderson, Jame
''Pauperism: Poor Relief in Ireland—Some Suggestions''(from "Ireland's Hope: A Call to Service"), 1913
Kely, G O, Donnell, A Kennedy, P Quin, S Irish Social Policy In Context:(1999) Dublin University College Dublin Press
External links
The Workhouse in IrelandHidden Wexford Genealogy – births in the Wexford Workhouse 1851–1893Elements of Irish Poor Law RepealedIrish Statute Book
Irish Poor Law Union and their Recordsfrom Ask About Ireland, an Irish government sponsored portal.
from the
National Archives of Ireland
The National Archives of Ireland ( ga, Cartlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is the official repository for the state records of Ireland. Established by the National Archives Act 1986, taking over the functions of the State Paper Office (founded 17 ...
.
The Irish Poor Law and the Great FamineCondition of the poorer classes in Ireland: first report: appendix A and supplement 1835Whately report (1218 pages) available through EPPI.
*
{{Poor Law