Realities of Irish Life

First published in 1868, this book provides an intriguing memoir of Irish culture and society during and after the Potato Famine. W. Steuart Trench (1808-72) studied agriculture with a view to becoming a land agent: having taken on this role for the Shirley estate in Monaghan in 1843, he eventually managed Irish estates for the Marquess of Lansdowne in County Kerry, for the Marquess of Bath and for Lord Digby. His book, a series of stories of everyday (and some extraordinary) events in nineteenth-century Ireland, purports to give the English public a clear and truthful account of the daily occurrences and difficulties experienced by an Irish landlord and his agent. The book also contains detailed appendix material, including letters describing the devastating effects of the famine (1845-52). The work was immediately successful, with five reprintings (of which this reissue is the third) within twelve months of publication.