Global Networks of Relief and the Great Irish Famine

Abstract

This dissertation examines global networks of relief that were active during the Great Irish Famine. In particular, it analyses networks facilitated by the British Empire, global Catholicism, the Irish diaspora, and transnational activist groups. In so doing, it traces the social and economic factors that facilitated an unprecedented moment of global giving. Global trends influenced both the ideology and materiality of Famine relief. Therefore, this dissertation investigates theories and practices of giving, in addition to the mechanics of giving. It considers the different types of giving encompassed in Famine relief efforts. Informal reciprocal support that took place within enclosed communities sat alongside traditional Church collections, accompanied by donations made at workplaces, concerts and galas. The type of relief one engaged in depended on one’s class and geographic location. This dissertation argues that charitable giving during the Famine hinted at more modern, secular form of humanitarianism, yet contends that the backbone of Famine relief remained more traditional forms of giving.

Despite the support of thousands of donors, and the mobilization of elite members of London, Dublin and colonial societies, voluntary Famine relief was essentially a failure. This dissertation explores the reasons for this failure. The Famine revealed the limitations of nineteenth-century global humanitarianism. On the one hand, humanitarians drew upon their social capital to ensure their campaigns achieved exceptional global reach. Information about the Famine spread throughout Europe and the English speaking world. Funds and provisions were shipped to Ireland from North and South America, Europe, India, and the Antipodes. Yet in contrast to this global mobility, humanitarians struggled to transfer funds to the most distressed areas in Ireland, and failed to distribute relief effectively. This dissertation therefore explores the ways Famine relief both revealed and reinforced social inequality in Ireland. Moreover, it investigates the role played by voluntary famine relief in strengthening the power of the British Government and the Catholic Church on the island of Ireland.