Child poverty is not just a transitory phase associated with childhood, but often has a legacy that persists in later life, regardless of children's talents or efforts. Published in association with the Combat Poverty Agency, this study draws on data from the 1994 and 1997 Living in Ireland Surveys, and compares this with earlier results.

This book is a ground-breaking history of poverty and welfare in modern Ireland, in the era of the Irish poor law. As the first study to address poor relief and health care together, the book fills an important gap, providing a much-needed introduction and assessment of the evolution of social welfare in 19th- and early 20th-century Ireland. The collection also addresses a number of related issues, including private philanthropy, the attitudes of landowners towards poor relief, and the crisis of the poor law during the Great Famine of 1845-1850. Together, these interlinking contributions both survey current research and suggest new areas for investigation, providing further stimulus to the growing field of Irish welfare history.