Clifden Poor Law Union archive collection, Descriptive List, GPL3.pdf

Clifden Poor Law Union
distress. That the potato on which the population does chiefly subsist is entirely or nearly
consumed and that the next means of subsistence, namely Indian meal, is at a price that
people cannot buy it….and that we humbly pray that the Government will take the distressed
state of this district into consideration and try to provide yellow meal or biscuit at such a
reduced price as the people can buy it at…the paupers in the House are nearly double the
usual number but we beg to assure the Government that both rich and poor, landlord and
tenant with very few exceptions are literally unable to meet the rate payment’ (GPL3.35, f245).
Following a crop failure in 1879 the Board campaigned in 1880 for public works to help
alleviate distress and in particular championed the case for the railway between Galway and
Clifden (see for instance GPL3/52, ff5-6 and GPL3/66, p450). Also due to the prevailing
conditions at that time the Local Government Board (LGB) authorised „…administering relief
out of the workhouse in food and fuel to poor persons other than those described in Sec 1, 10
Vic cap 31 for a period of the calendar month’ (GPL3/52, f10).
The Guardians continued to campaign for public works, in particular the railway, in subsequent
years. Such as in July 1883 advising the „…great social and material advantage which would
be conferred on a very large area of county (about 50 square miles) if he (the Lord Lieutenant)
were to assist the undertaking of a Railway from Galway to Clifden’ (GPL3/57, f64).
The number receiving outdoor relief in April 1880 was 500, with 152 inmates in the workhouse.
By 29 th May 1880 the number receiving outdoor relief had increased to 829. In June 1880 the
LGB approved the „…continuous of outdoor relief under the Relief of Distress Ireland Act 1880
to 1 st July 1880’ (GPL3/52, f165). The Board then directed the Relieving Officers that „…every
able-bodied male person relieved under the authority of the Order are to be set to perform a
task of work during eight hours at least of every day for which he received relief. The Board
consider the best and only way to fill employment is by stone breaking in their respective
districts and that they be allowed at the rate of 1/6 [1s. 6d] in kind per cubic yard’ (GPL3/52,
f165). By 26 th June 1880 the number receiving outdoor relief was 1,022, with 135 in the
workhouse.
Outdoor relief was further extended to 31 st July 1880. By early August the number in receipt of
outdoor relief had dropped to 383. However, outdoor relief was extended again in mid
February 1881 until the end of the month, though the Guardians at that time considered that
„…a renewal of the Order is not required at present as ample employment can be obtained
during the progress of the Spring work’ (GPL3/53, f149).
In November 1882 the Board again called upon the Government to provide public works,
stating „That taking into consideration the almost complete failure of the crops in this part of
Connemara and seeing also that the fishing during the present year owing to the
Cartlann Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe „…cuimhne dhoiciméadach Chontae na Gaillimhe a shealbhú, a chaomhnú agus a dhéanamh inrochtana’
Galway County Council - Archives „…to acquire, preserve and make accessible the documentary memory of county Galway’
xi.