Charity and the Great Hunger in Ireland

Christine Kinealy is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, where she earned her doctorate. She is Professor of Irish Studies in the Caspersen Graduate School at Drew University, USA, and, in the spring of 2012, was Visiting Scholar in Residence at Quinnipiac University, USA. She is the author of several books on the Irish Famine, including the award-winning This Great Calamity: The Irish Famine, 1845-52 (2006).

• Introduction1. 'Apparitions of death and disease': Official responses to the famine2. 'Some great and terrible calamity': Relief efforts from near and nfar3. 'A labour of love': Quaker charity4. 'An ocean of benevolence': The general relief committee of New York5. 'Arise ye dead of Skibbereen': Leading by example6. 'This cruel calamity of scarcity': The role of the Catholic Church7. 'How good people are!' The involvement of women8. 'A gloomy picture of human misery': The role of the British Relief Association9. 'The brotherhood of mankind': Donations to the British Relief Association10. 'Without distinction of creed or party, nation or colour': American aid11. 'The most barbaric nation': Evangelicals and charityConclusion: 'Thousands have by this means been saved'NotesAppendixBibliographyIndex

Kinealy (Irish studies, Drew Univ.) has published extensively on the famine and contributes here the most comprehensive work on private charity to date.In this well-researched study, Kinealy properly credits the contributions of the Quakers in offering much immediate aid and bearing witness to the tragedy and also brings to light the roles of the leading aid organization (the British Relief Association), the Irish General Central Relief Committee, the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches, the Irish diaspora (especially in the US), women's groups, and many others. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.