THE EMERGENCE of the irish peasantry

INTRODUCTION:  THE PEASANT IN IRISH HISTORY.  Seamus O'Kelly (1875-1918), Wet Clay.

I.  THE TRANSFORMATION OF RURAL IRELAND.

A.  POPULATION DECLINE.

1)  NORTH AND SOUTH.  Ulster, 1841-1911: urban pop. 9% --> 38%.
    The six counties' pop., 1851-1936:  22% --> 30%.

2.  SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES.  Kenneth Connell, Irish social historian
     (Queen's U., Belfast).

3).  EMIGRATION. 

B.  FARMS.  Wheat:  750,000 acres in 1847; 500,000 acres in 1851; 48,000 acres in 1901.  Grazing; 8,750,000 acres in 1847 to 10,500,00 acres in 1901.

II.  THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FAMILY.  Patrick Kavanagh (1904-67) of Co. Monaghan, "The Great Hunger".  P. A. Sheehan (1852-1913) of Mallow, Co. Cork, Glenanaar (1905).  Peadar O'Donnell, The Big Windows (1955).

IV.  IMAGES: OLD COUNTRYMAN, NEW PEASANT.  John Stuart Mill.  Flann O'Brien (d. 1966) The Poor Mouth.