Emigration and poverty in prefamine Ireland

Emigration was a crucial element in Irish population change during the half century before the Great Famine. The size and composition of the outward flow worried some, and caused considerable debate. Majority opinion held that emigration was likely to benefit economically both those who left and those who stayed behind. This paper uses an untapped source - ship passenger lists - to determine some relevant emigrant characteristics, and uses it to check for likely losses to the stay-at-homes from the 'quality' and age structure of the flow.

A hard copy is available in UCD Library at GEN 330.08 IR/UNI