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FAMINE IN CORK CITY: Famine in Cork City sheds light on the horrific physical conditions
of the inmates in one such workhouse, Cork Workhouse (now Cork’s
Famine Life at Cork Union St. Finbarr's Hospital), and explores the tragic effects of the famine
Workhouse by O Mahony Society as they unfolded in the city. Through its extensive graphs, tables,
Member Michelle O’Mahony and illustrations, the book lays bare the facts of the lives of our Irish

Book Review by Wiliam F. O’Mahoney- Ancestors who, through no fault of their own, died or were driven from
Badzmierowski, Publications Editor Ireland between 1845-1852.
It is a study of famine as it affected the day-to-day lives of the inmates
I was fortunate to grow up at the heels and guardians of the Cork Union Workhouse.
of my Irish mother (Rita Janet Gifford-
Badzmierowski) and grandmother (Bridget The workhouse was built on the site of the current St Finbarr’s Hospital
Theresa O’Mahoney Gifford). My childhood to comply with the provisions of the 1838 Poor Law Act. It was opened
was filled with learning Irish culture and in 1841.
customs, legends, and history. It was all The intention of the Poor Law Act was to care for the destitute.
wondrous and fascinating to my young mind Workhouses were meant as a last resort for people who, through age,
and I have never forgotten any of it.
sickness, or some other calamity, could no longer care for themselves.
By the time I studied world history during To ensure that the workhouse was seen as a deterrent, conditions were
my undergraduate and graduate years, I deliberately maintained at a level below that of the poorest people who
found it baffling that neither Mom nor Nana lived outside the workhouse.
ever told me anything about an Gorta Mór
(the Great Hunger). The Cork Union Workhouse was built to cater for 2,000 destitute
people. When it opened in 1841, the population immediately rose above
An Gorta Mor occurred on the island of
Ireland between roughly 1845-1852. Historians differ on when the Great that figure, indicating its inability to cater for the relatively prosperous
situation of that time.
Hunger began and ended. Every Irish person in every part of the world
today likely lost at least one ancestor to starvation and related disease Following the onset of the famine the workhouse numbers grew and grew
during this period. In my mind, this was the pivotal event in Irish history. as each year’s potato crop failed.

The Great Hunger was a period of mass starvation, disease, and At the height of the famine there were more than 7,000 inmates. It is
emigration in Ireland. In a very general sense, it was initially caused little wonder that diseases such as cholera, typhus, and scurvy claimed a
by potato blight, which ravaged potato crops throughout Europe heavy death toll during the period.
during the 1840s.
The minute books of the meetings of the Cork Union Workhouse
The impact of the potato blight in Ireland was disproportionate. One third guardians are the source of the material for this book.
of the population was dependent on the potato for a vast range of ethnic, I feel enriched reading deeper about the conditions in the workhouses
religious, political, social, and economic reasons. Over a million Irish before and during an Gorta Mór. This new knowledge sheds more light on
people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland, causing a severe Bridget’s reluctance to educate me about this period in Irish history.
decrease in the island's population.
History Consultant Michelle O'Mahony is a graduate
This period is often referred to as the Irish Potato Famine because about of University College Cork and worked as a teacher
two-fifths of the Irish population were solely reliant on the potato crop for of History and English for several years before
daily nutrition.
moving into her current role. Her undergraduate and
Mom was not born in Ireland and she was likely never educated on this post-graduate research involved an in-depth analysis
period in Irish history. Bridget was born in Cork City in 1887 and spent of Cork Union Workhouse's famine history. She lives
the first seventeen years of her life growing up in County Cork. There in County Cork, Ireland.
is little doubt that she was keenly aware of the long-term effects of an History consultant and author, Michelle O'Mahony with her book 'Famine
Gorta Mór on Irland and the Irish.
in Cork City' which was recently relaunched at the famine workhouse in
After extensively researching an Gorta Mór during the past 30 years, it Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland. Photo Credit: David Creedon
became clear to me that this topic was simply too painful for Bridget to
address with me. Like many Irish, she likely lost hundreds or thousands of Famine in Cork City: Famine Life at Cork Union Workhouse ISBN 10:
ancestors between1845-1852. 1856354555, ISBN 13: 978-1856354554 is available for sale on
Amazon, and other booksellers. The O Mahony Society does not receive
I recently read Famine in Cork City: Famine Life at Cork Union Workhouse any portion of any sale.
by O Mahony Society Member Michelle O’Mahony.
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