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Class, welfare and politics in Ireland, 1918-32
| This paper will concentrate on the role of welfare in the politics of the Irish revolution and early independent Ireland. The place of the destitute and marginalised within Irish society during this critical period has largely been ignored by Irish historians. By the emergence of the revolutionary Sinn Fein in 1918 a substantial section of the population was reliant on the Irish poor law through the workhouse system and outdoor relief. Furthermore, the control of such welfare provisions was largely in the hands of local government bodies which were the focus of much radical politics. Indeed, the control of welfare administration was an important sphere of local power, patronage and influence. Vitally, an examination of the dynamic that welfare played in the politics of the revolution and the first decade of the Irish Free State allows for a range of fresh perspectives on poverty and its relationship with class and politics in Ireland. Furthermore, such an exploration will aim to deepen current understandings of the poor and their place within Irish society during this highly formative period.
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