The Congested Districts Board Photograph Collection
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2018 12:04 pm
The Congested Districts Board was set up in 1891, by Chief Secretary Arthur Balfour, to alleviate poverty and congested living conditions in the west and parts of the north-west of Ireland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congested ... or_Ireland
Co. Clare was not included among the counties deemed to be in need of the assistance provided by the Board, because the county (taken as a whole) did not satisfy the conditions laid down: areas were designated congested if the total rateable value, when divided by the number of population, was less than one pound ten shillings for each individual. It was not until 1909 that it was successfully argued that some parts of Clare should be included. Finally, 6 of the DEDs, or two thirds of Clare, were included: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1909 ... ed/en/html
I think most people are of the opinion that, if it were not for that technicality (the mathematical formula), Clare would have been included from the start: http://www.loophead.ie/events/kilkee-ci ... 20Heritage
And so I think this photograph collection – although none of the photographs are from Co. Clare - give an idea of what living conditions were like as late as 1915:
http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000033747
*“Congested” was the term used, but it did not always mean crowded – it was often used to convey that the yield from a farm was insufficient to support a family.
Sheila
Co. Clare was not included among the counties deemed to be in need of the assistance provided by the Board, because the county (taken as a whole) did not satisfy the conditions laid down: areas were designated congested if the total rateable value, when divided by the number of population, was less than one pound ten shillings for each individual. It was not until 1909 that it was successfully argued that some parts of Clare should be included. Finally, 6 of the DEDs, or two thirds of Clare, were included: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1909 ... ed/en/html
I think most people are of the opinion that, if it were not for that technicality (the mathematical formula), Clare would have been included from the start: http://www.loophead.ie/events/kilkee-ci ... 20Heritage
And so I think this photograph collection – although none of the photographs are from Co. Clare - give an idea of what living conditions were like as late as 1915:
http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000033747
*“Congested” was the term used, but it did not always mean crowded – it was often used to convey that the yield from a farm was insufficient to support a family.
Sheila