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

Thomas Gallagher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 1987

Ireland in the mid-1800s was primarily a population of peasants, forced to live on a single, moderately nutritious crop: potatoes. Suddenly, in 1846, an unknown and uncontrollable disease turned the potato crop to inedible slime, and all Ireland was threatened. Index.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Gallagher (1918-1992), the son of Irish immigrants, grew up in New York.  He is the author of several books on world history and topics of Irish interest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (May 13, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156707004
• ISBN-13: 978-0156707008
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Ancestors Lived Through This Horror?, April 4, 2003

By 

James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paddy's Lament, Ireland 1846-1847: Prelude to Hatred (Paperback)

"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.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intense, Factual, Spellbinding, Moving, Horrific, TRUTH, October 30, 2000

By 

Evelyn Gehlsen (Rochester, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paddy's Lament, Ireland 1846-1847: Prelude to Hatred (Paperback)

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.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive book on The Irish, May 10, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paddy's Lament, Ireland 1846-1847: Prelude to Hatred (Paperback)

Of all the books I've read by or about the Irish, this is by far the best. In trying to trace my heritage I have read everything from The Tain and books on Irish myth and legend, to bios on the likes of DeValera and Collins, to contemporary fiction by the likes of Emer Martin, Colum McCann and Patrick McCabe. But this book, by Thomas Gallagher, has been the only book that so vividly reveals what exactly happened in Ireland, why, and what it was like. Much like one of the previous reviewers, I had to put the book down several times, as I was so overcome by what I can only describe as grief. I would recommend also (as a companion to Paddy's Lament) the book "Mother Ireland" by Edna O'Brien, which is essentially an essay (or series of essays) of what Ireland was like for her. Very powerful. But be warned: While both books are eminently readable, neither is "easy" reading ... both of these books are filled with sorrow, shame, and much suffering. However, you will never see The Irish in quite the same way, and develop a renewed sense of Ireland's ultimate resourcefulness and courage.