The Facts Are In

The four outstanding events in Irish history before the re-establishment of national independence in 1922 are the mission of St. Patrick, the English Conquest, the English Reformation and the Great Famine. Of these the fourth determined the fact, and the first the character, of the massive emigration that had such momentous consequences for England and America, and for the Catholic Church throughout the English-speaking world. The others determined very largely the welcome the emigrants received.

The Famine itself has long been a stumbling block to historians. Apart from the difficulty of describing it adequately, how is so great a disaster to be explained, and on whom does the blame for not fighting it more effectively rest? To many Irish nationalists the answer is obvious: the English government saw a chance to weaken Ireland and made only a half-hearted attempt to cope with a calamity they secretly welcomed. To many English writers the answer is equally obvious and quite different: the blame rests on the Irish themselves with their improvident character and incapacity to manage their own affairs. What has been needed is a detailed account of the Famine, its causes and consequences, placing them in the proper context, written without bias—and preferably by an English Protestant. That need is met by Mrs. Woodham-Smith’s authoritative and absorbing book.

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F. D. Cohalan

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The four outstanding events in Irish history before the re-establishment of national independence in 1922 are the mission of St. Patrick, the English Conquest, the English Reformation and the Great Famine. Of these the fourth determined the fact, and the first the character, of the massive emigration that had such momentous consequences for England and America, and for the Catholic Church throughout the English-speaking world. The others determined very largely the welcome the emigrants received.

The Famine itself has long been a stumbling block to historians. Apart from the difficulty of describing it adequately, how is so great a disaster to be explained, and on whom does the blame for not fighting it more effectively rest? To many Irish nationalists the answer is obvious: the English government saw a chance to weaken Ireland and made only a half-hearted attempt to cope with a calamity they secretly welcomed. To many English writers the answer is equally obvious and quite different: the blame rests on the Irish themselves with their improvident character and incapacity to manage their own affairs. What has been needed is a detailed account of the Famine, its causes and consequences, placing them in the proper context, written without bias—and preferably by an English Protestant. That need is met by Mrs. Woodham-Smith’s authoritative and absorbing book.