Women and Philanthropy in Nineteenth-Century Ireland [Paperback]

A study examining women's contribution to charitable work and reform in nineteenth-century Ireland.Claiming that sectarianism dominated their philanthropic activity in 19th-century Ireland, this study's analysis of the work of women in moral reform concludes that most progressive developments were brought about by nonconformists, who later became pioneers in the cause of suffrage.Claiming that sectarianism dominated their philanthropic activity in 19th-century Ireland, this study's analysis of the work of women in moral reform concludes that most progressive developments were brought about by nonconformists, who later became pioneers in the cause of suffrage.This book examines the involvement of women in charity work in nineteenth-century Ireland. The author claims that sectarianism dominated women's philanthropic activity, and analyzes the work of women in areas of moral reform, such as prostitution and prison work. The book concludes that the most progressive developments in the care of the poor were brought about by nonconformist women who were later to become pioneers in the cause of suffrage.List of tables; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Women in Irish society: 18001900; 2. Women, religion and philanthropy; 3. Saving the child; 4. Prostitution and rescue work; 5. Prison work; 6. Varieties of charity; Contusion; Select bibliography; Index. The book's attraction for students of history lies in its wide range of revealing sources, many of which are only beginning to be accessed by historians. The author has utilized the printed annual reports of diverse charitable organizations, their minute books and register reports, convent and diocesan archives, and the journals that nineteenth-century women read. A great deal of information is compressed into informative tables, and there is an excellent bibliography....In revealing to us the extent to which women shaped nineteenth-century society in Ireland, the author has produced a work of recolƒ2