Famine on the Coast: the Royal Navy and the Relief of Ireland, 1846-1847

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Abstract

While the significance of private charity, local organisation and government policy have all been evaluated with respect to Irish famine relief, the role of the Royal Navy in distributing food and assisting ashore has been overlooked within the existing historical literature. Operating from its base at Cork and receiving provisions from Plymouth and Portsmouth, the navy battled against Atlantic storms throughout the winter of 1846–7, and for months thereafter, to supply coastal food depots. It had also to confront a growing lawlessness which placed merchant craft at sea and the movement of aid on shore in peril. Yet the navy was not only a vital means of transport. To assist with medical care, the Admiralty sent surgeons to Ireland who reported at length on the extent of starvation and the worst effects of disease—an initiative which brought the Admiralty into conflict with the authorities in Dublin. Furthermore, naval activities had always to be co-ordinated with the Treasury in London, which had overall responsibility for Irish relief yet often far less understanding of the practicalities of distribution along the south and west coasts of Ireland. The unexplored archival material used allows an original perspective on the efforts made to alleviate the worst effects of Black ’47 and the calamity which overwhelmed so much of Ireland.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)92-120
Number of pages29
JournalThe English Historical Review
Volume134
Issue number566
Early online date23 Feb 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Feb 2019

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