The Curse of Reason: The Great Irish Famine

A survey history of The Great Irish Famine. In particular, the testimonies of four key contemporaries are used throughout to convey the immediacy of the unfolding disaster. They are: John MacHale, the Catholic Archbishop of Tuam; John Mitchel, the radical nationalist; Elizabeth Smith, the Scottish-born wife of a Wicklow landlord; and Charles E. Trevelyan, the assistant secretary to the Treasury. Each brings a unique perspective, influenced by who they were, what they witnessed, and what they stood for.