The tragedy that struck Ireland between 1845 and 1852 is often viewed through the lens of cold-hearted bureaucrats, greedy merchants or indifferent landlords who put profit, principles of political economy, and prejudice against the Irish poor, above the need to save lives. This ground-breaking volume examines the contributions of the numerous men and women who risked their lives-and sometimes their livelihoods-in caring for the sick and the starving. This publication examines the uplifting contributions of numerous individuals who combatted hunger, famine and disease in the mid-nineteenth century in order to save the lives of strangers.

At a time that the world is struggling with the deadly COVID pandemic and its aftermath, these stories are a tribute to all forgotten or nameless caregivers and front-line workers.