"This collection of essays offers diverse perspectives on the impact of the Great Famine in Ireland, with particular focus on the experience in the province of Ulster."--Back cover.

The Belfast Jacobin is the first-ever biography of Samuel Neilson, a founding member of the Society of United Irishmen whose profound influence on this radical movement was to alter the course of Irish history. Samuel Neilson joined Wolfe Tone and Thomas Russell at the inaugural meeting of the United Irishmen in 1791, forming a radical front that would challenge the political realities of the day in increasingly strident ways. As editor of the Northern Star, Neilson was to be a principal figure in shaping the United Irishmen’s ideology before the newspaper was suppressed by the military. He brought the excitement caused by the French Revolution into Irish focus, putting public dissatisfaction into words and, later, gathering the forces necessary for revolt. Kenneth Dawson, conducting original research and drawing upon innumerable archive sources, reveals Neilson’s formidable strength as an organiser of radical politics, his incessant run-ins with the authorities, and his central role in planning the United Irish Rebellion of 1798. Samuel Neilson brought talk of revolution to the street – The Belfast Jacobin is a pivotal history that illuminates the true import of his deeds and writing, sorely obscured in many accounts of the 1790s.

In the fall of 1845, a mysterious blight ravaged Ireland’s potato harvest, beginning a prolonged period of starvation, suffering, and emigration that reduced the Irish population by as much as twenty-five per cent in a mere six years. The Famine profoundly impacted Ireland’s social and political history and altered its relationships with the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. This document collection provides a broad selection of historical perspectives depicting the causes, the course, and the impact of the Famine. Letters, speeches, newspaper articles, and other works are collected within, carefully described and annotated for the reader. A substantial introduction, a chronology of events, and a useful glossary are also included to aid in the interpretation of the primary texts.

The Great Irish Famine tells of the last great famine in European history. First-hand accounts and writings by four contemporary real people are used to give a complete and personal picture of the historic tragedy.

The Great Irish Famine of 1845–52 was the defining event in the history of modern Ireland. In proportional terms one of the most lethal famines in global history, the consequences were shocking: at least one million people died, and double that number fled the country within a decade. The Great Irish Famine surveys the history of this great tragedy through the testimonies of four key contemporaries, conveying the immediacy of the unfolding disaster as never before. They are: - John MacHale – the Catholic Archbishop of Tuam - John Mitchel – the radical nationalist - Elizabeth Smith – the Scottish-born wife of a Wicklow landlord - Charles E. Trevelyan – the assistant secretary to the Treasury Each brings a unique perspective, influenced by who they were, what they witnessed, and what they stood for. It is an intimate and compelling portrayal of these hungry years. The book shows how misguided policies inspired by slavish adherence to ideology worsened the effects of a natural disaster of catastrophic proportions. 'A significant and sophisticated addition to the historiography of the Famine.' Christopher Cusack, Times Literary Supplement 'Delaney's approach to the story is innovative ... (it will be found) in the hands of those who appreciate first-rate history ... a very impressive book.' Breandán Mac Suibhne, Dublin Review of Books '... a genuinely original and illuminating perspective on a subject too often dealt with by means of second-hand narrative and unexamined clichés.' Roy Foster, Professor of Irish History, Oxford University 'There are many books on this terrible event, but this is one of the most fluent and original. Although it is based on large amounts of primary research its style is accessible and engaging, and the result is a valuable study of a truly harrowing crisis.' The Times Higher Education Supplement '... an extraordinarily important subject ... focusing on four fascinating characters.' Ryan Tubridy 'Delaney offers an insightful, readable overview of this overwhelming disaster ... highly recommended.' Choice, America's Library Association publication The Great Irish Famine: Table of Contents PROLOGUE: THE LAND OF THE DEAD PART I. BEFORE THE FAMINE - Encounters - Land and people - Politics and power PART II. THAT COMING STORM - Spectre of famine - Peel's brimstone PART III. INTO THE ABYSS - A starving nation - The fearful reality - Property and poverty PART IV. LEGACIES - Victoria's subjects - Exiles EPILOGUE: THE DEATH OF MARTIN COLLINS