‘A Nation of Beggars’?: Priests, People, and Politics in Famine Ireland, 1846–1852
Donal A. Kerr
Abstract
This is the first full account of the role of the Irish Catholic Church in the Great Famine of 1846 and its aftermath. The author shows how the Famine and the subsequent evictions led to rural violence and a spate of assassinations culminating in the murder of Major Mahon, which the local parish priest was accused of inciting. Savage denunciations followed in press and parliament. In conjunction with the belief that Pope Pius IX had blessed the struggle of oppressed nationalities, many priests became involved in the run-up to the Young Ireland Rebellion. These years also saw a sharpening of re ... More
Keywords: Irish Catholic Church, Great Famine, Major Mahon, Pope Pius IX, Young Ireland Rebellion, Protestant Evangelicals, Protestantine Ireland
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 1998 | Print ISBN-13: 9780198207375 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: October 2011 | DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207375.001.0001 |
