Paddy's Lament, Ireland 1846-1847: Prelude to Hatred

Rating:
Summary: Our Ancestors Lived Through This Horror?
Review: "Paddy's Lament" tells the story of those who lived through and died in the Irish Potato Famine of 1846-1847. Throughout the book I kept wondering if my ancestors lived through the horrors described.

The economic setting of Ireland is laid out as that of an island of tenant farmers and large, often absentee, landlords. Agriculture produced wheat and beef for export to England. A small proportion of the land was planted in potatoes, the only food which could feed the population on such small acreage. With the advent of the textile industry in England, wool became a more profitable crop than the traditional ones, if only the native population could be done away with.

A fungus led to the destruction of the potato crop in 1846. Relief was available through the prohibition of the exportation of grain, a step which had previously been taken in other famine stricken countries. The control of Ireland's destiny was within the control of the British Lords who regarded the Irish as a subhuman species of which they would prefer to be rid. The aid extended by foreign nations, particularly the U.S., was a sharp indictment of British indifference. The Famine would not have occurred in a country in control of its own fate.

The famine cause tenants to fall behind in their rents. Massive evictions and destruction of homes followed. Many Irish were forced from their home villages to travel across the land. Is this why Mary McKeever's two brothers were born in the East, but she was born in the West?

Relief came in bits and spurts. The British Lords commissioned the chef of the Reform Club, their gathering place, to create an economical recipe for Irish soup kitchens. Emphasizing economy, he created a soup which was easy on the British exchequer, but provided little nutrition to the Irish. Did William Casey eat this greasy water?

The famine led to widespread starvation. The vivid description of the appearance of the victims is grotesque. Did Matthew Gallen's parents die this death?

Privation forced the Irish to abandon their homes in search of a new life beyond the hated British Empire. The practice of the American wake, in which the family mourned the loss of the son or daughter who was to leave forever was a heart rending affair for all involved. Many sought to avoid the wake by running away. Is this why Thomas English and his brother ran away from home?

The reader accompanies a group of immigrants on a voyage in the stinking, rocking, wretched steerage section of a British ship. The inferiority of the British ships as opposed to American is explained. The sailor's grim prediction that there would be more room the further out they got became hauntingly true. Again the details are presented in such detail as to turn the stomach of the readers even after all of these years. Is this the type of voyage on which Johanna Lynch chose a crewman for her husband?

A new life started for the survivors upon arrival in New York. The contrast between the lethargy of the Irish in Ireland and their industry in America spoke eloquently of the altered prospects for reward for their labors. Although many stayed in New York, others moved out to rural environments more reminiscent of Ireland. Is this how Patrick Nealon got to Bath, Maine?

The British realized that, as they ridded Ireland of its excess population, they were creating an America which was becoming Irish and anti-British. The failure of the potato crop was an act of God. The famine was an Act of Parliament. This perception turned the Irish dissatisfaction with the British into an intense hatred.

This book helps us understand our past and what made us they way we are.

Rating:
Summary: Our Ancestors Lived Through This Horror?
Review: "Paddy's Lament" tells the story of those who lived through and died in the Irish Potato Famine of 1846-1847. Throughout the book I kept wondering if my ancestors lived through the horrors described.

The economic setting of Ireland is laid out as that of an island of tenant farmers and large, often absentee, landlords. Agriculture produced wheat and beef for export to England. A small proportion of the land was planted in potatoes, the only food which could feed the population on such small acreage. With the advent of the textile industry in England, wool became a more profitable crop than the traditional ones, if only the native population could be done away with.

A fungus led to the destruction of the potato crop in 1846. Relief was available through the prohibition of the exportation of grain, a step which had previously been taken in other famine stricken countries. The control of Ireland's destiny was within the control of the British Lords who regarded the Irish as a subhuman species of which they would prefer to be rid. The aid extended by foreign nations, particularly the U.S., was a sharp indictment of British indifference. The Famine would not have occurred in a country in control of its own fate.

The famine cause tenants to fall behind in their rents. Massive evictions and destruction of homes followed. Many Irish were forced from their home villages to travel across the land. Is this why Mary McKeever's two brothers were born in the East, but she was born in the West?

Relief came in bits and spurts. The British Lords commissioned the chef of the Reform Club, their gathering place, to create an economical recipe for Irish soup kitchens. Emphasizing economy, he created a soup which was easy on the British exchequer, but provided little nutrition to the Irish. Did William Casey eat this greasy water?

The famine led to widespread starvation. The vivid description of the appearance of the victims is grotesque. Did Matthew Gallen's parents die this death?

Privation forced the Irish to abandon their homes in search of a new life beyond the hated British Empire. The practice of the American wake, in which the family mourned the loss of the son or daughter who was to leave forever was a heart rending affair for all involved. Many sought to avoid the wake by running away. Is this why Thomas English and his brother ran away from home?

The reader accompanies a group of immigrants on a voyage in the stinking, rocking, wretched steerage section of a British ship. The inferiority of the British ships as opposed to American is explained. The sailor's grim prediction that there would be more room the further out they got became hauntingly true. Again the details are presented in such detail as to turn the stomach of the readers even after all of these years. Is this the type of voyage on which Johanna Lynch chose a crewman for her husband?

A new life started for the survivors upon arrival in New York. The contrast between the lethargy of the Irish in Ireland and their industry in America spoke eloquently of the altered prospects for reward for their labors. Although many stayed in New York, others moved out to rural environments more reminiscent of Ireland. Is this how Patrick Nealon got to Bath, Maine?

The British realized that, as they ridded Ireland of its excess population, they were creating an America which was becoming Irish and anti-British. The failure of the potato crop was an act of God. The famine was an Act of Parliament. This perception turned the Irish dissatisfaction with the British into an intense hatred.

This book helps us understand our past and what made us they way we are.

Rating:
Summary: An unique story detailing the Irish famine experience.
Review: A story that could be typical of any Irish man or woman that lived during the famine. It traces the beginning of the famine, through the British mishandling of it, and finally the decision of a million Irish that a chance at survival in America was better than certain death in their homeland. It graphically details the deplorable conditions that were prevelant in Ireland during the famine. It is only after the realization of the conditions aboard the ships that traveled to America combined with sense of utter loss of one's family that one gets a sense of what a difficult choice so many people made to come to America. An excellent book for anyone with Irish heritage or just someone who seeks to begin to understand the hardships of the immigrants of the great Irish Migration.

Rating:
Summary: Intense, Factual, Spellbinding, Moving, Horrific, TRUTH
Review: This book gives a strong narrative of the reasons for the "hatred" between the Irish and the English. Rather than citing "intellectual argument" he uses the facts, histories, and information to give a first person account as if it is happening right now. He puts names to the suffering. If you, as the reader, have any heart at all it pulls you into the story so much so that you almost feel it is happening to you.

I have just finished reading, or rather sobbing through, Paddy's Lament. I can't even think about it without tears in my eyes. I had to put it down several times to compose myself enough to continue. As sad as the whole thing was though I am glad I read it and will give it to many other people to read. I really think this book should be a "must-read" because it has definitely inspired me to see what can be done to right the wrongs that were done. I know all those people are gone now, but there is a legacy of pain and hatred that was left behind that still needs healing. One bright thing to point out is that Americans finally have some history to be proud of (page 80). I am so grateful to those Americans who sent the equivalent of 30 million dollars worth of aid in one year alone. Who knows if maybe that is the reason many were able to survive. That touches me so deeply I can't properly express it. And it also tells me that individuals can make a difference if we have the courage and the will to do it. Go raibh maith agaibh, Thanks for listening to my reactions.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Research on the Famine
Review: This is a thorough portrayal of what took place during the Great Famine because it uses first-hand accounts passed down from those whose families experience the famine. Well researched and written in an interesting way, with sympathy toward the victims who suffered and those who were not fortunate enough to survive this terrible time in history.

Rating:
Summary: Another distorting bigoted non-history
Review: This is a wonderful, fascinating, infuriating, illucidating book. The scholarship found is this important study of unimaginable tragedy is incredible in its scope. As a lover of all things Irish, I thought I hated the English before I read this book. Now, I am determined to become the chief fundraiser for the IRA in the U.S. (Just kidding, almost.)

Rating:
Summary: An Old Friend Whose Work Deserves a Resurgence
Review: Thomas Gallagher was an old family friend, so in some respects my review of his works may be slightly biased. In fact, in the years before he died, he was a mentor to me in my own writing. Unfortunately, he passed on before he could see that I dedicated my first novel to him.

In terms of his books, PADDY'S LAMENT and ASSAULT IN NORWAY are among his best. Mr. Gallagher always had a talent for taking an obscure event in history and showing its importance in such a way that the final product reads like a novel. I first read both of the above works in 1990, while still in college, and I remember marvelling at how crisp every one of his sentences was. He achieved elegance through hard work, and both of these works are testament to it.

Rating:
Summary: An Old Friend Whose Work Deserves a Resurgence
Review: Thomas Gallagher was an old family friend, so in some respects my review of his works may be slightly biased. In fact, in the years before he died, he was a mentor to me in my own writing. Unfortunately, he passed on before he could see that I dedicated my first novel to him.

In terms of his books, PADDY'S LAMENT and ASSAULT IN NORWAY are among his best. Mr. Gallagher always had a talent for taking an obscure event in history and showing its importance in such a way that the final product reads like a novel. I first read both of the above works in 1990, while still in college, and I remember marvelling at how crisp every one of his sentences was. He achieved elegance through hard work, and both of these works are testament to it.