King John’s Castle and Thomond Bridge — from ‘Picturesque views of the Antiquities of Ireland’ (1830)

The most pressing socio-economic problems in Ireland at this time, high unemployment, low pay and widespread poverty, had remained largely unresolved since the late eighteenth century. Even though Irish provisions were famously cheap on the international markets, many in Limerick could barely afford to purchase them. In times of hardship (poor harvests, crop failures and rising prices) charity alone was relied upon to keep people alive and public disorder at bay. Charity’s innately haphazard nature added to the feeling and reality of omnipresent insecurity. Therefore the working classes sometimes felt, as a last resort, that they had no alternative but to riot for food.

The Pattern

After a late and cold Spring in 1772, many parts of Great Britain and Ireland experienced a food shortage crisis. The price of food at the market increased. There were warnings in the local press about an impending famine in Worcester and Exeter. There were food riots in Essex, Suffolk and Munster. The latter occurred in Limerick in May 1772 when a distressed group made a sustained attempt to raid the Lock Mill in the city. Six people were shot dead by guards.

Excerpt from Rev. Patrick Fitzgerald’s The History, Topography, and Antiquities, of the County and City of Limerick (1827) p. 467

Twenty five years later the underlying cause of these food riots remained. As you can see, the working poor in Limerick could barely afford to feed their families in times of plenty.

Cheap provisions, but the poor of Limerick could not afford them. The Observer (London), 31st December 1797

A potato crop failure in June 1817 led to a large crowd of people in Limerick raiding merchants stores for flour and oatmeal. This event was dwarfed by the food riot which occurred in Limerick City thirteen years later.

Summer 1830

The first year of the decade began with a potato crop failure, which in turn led to a subsistence crisis all across Munster. The price of food spiked and naturally the effects of this were felt most sharply by the impoverished rural and urban populations. On the 23 June the Limerick Chronicle reported “deep distress” in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary and that flour had been robbed in various raids outside the town. In Co. Sligo locals offered a exceptionally high bounty for anyone willing to import oatmeal “so great is the distress.” The paper stated that “a famine in Kerry is almost inevitable, unless some extraordinary measures be taken for the relief of the poor”, that potatoes were prohibitively expensive and that typhus fever “the attendant of poverty” was “fast setting in.” As the price of potatoes continued to rise in Ennis, Co. Clare “the distress of the poorer classes hourly increases” and Ennistymon appears to have been particularly affected.

Destitution in Ireland from the London Pictorial Times, 22 August 1846. NLI ref. HP (1846) 2

Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, where the “greatest stress” prevailed, reported an outbreak of typhus fever. The “state of the poor” in Tralee, Co. Kerry was also lamented. The amount of potatoes for sale at the market there was not twenty percent of what was the “usual necessary supply.” In Killarney “the most strenuous and active exertions” were made to “ward off famine.” The Freeman’s Journal (2 July) reported that “hundreds of families in the county of Cork are starving” having to rely on nettles and corn marigolds as their only food. The labouring classes were reported to be starving in many parts of Roscommon and Leitrim; while special funds to relieve the distress of the poor in Fethard, Bruff and Dungannon were also established. The Castlebar Telegraph (23 June) wrote that “the distress continues unabated, and famine is advancing upon us with rapid strides.” The same publication disclosed that cattle were being slaughtered in the fields and “store-houses broken open and plundered” because of hunger. Similar descriptions of distress were sent from Derry, Enniskillen and Kilkenny.

The Situation in Limerick

The signs of distress in the city were clearly shown by the exceptionally high number of arrests for food theft from April onwards. As the Summer arrived and potato prices continue to rise, the tension mounted. The critical development was when prominent oatmeal merchants in the city raised the price of this article from the already profitable 16l.a ton to 20l. This increase in price undoubtedly sent shock-waves through the poor parts of the city. Oatmeal was the usual substitute when the potato harvest was dismal and the ‘lower orders’ depended upon it to be affordable. They expressed their anxiety and anger by taking to the streets, risking their lives to raid provision stores and attack food transits. Specifically targeting those they perceived to be forestallers, they launched a coordinated attack across the city. Predictably this highly organised action was perceived by some of their ‘betters’ to have been spontaneous and wild.

The Riot — what happened?

25 June 1830: It seems the signal to act was an assault on five car-loads of oatmeal carriage which had just crossed Thomond Bridge. This led to a crowd pouring forth “from every lane of the Old town.” I have created an interactive map which reveals the scale of the riot.

The Food riot (in rough chronological order)

Start of the Riot — Food transit attacked (7:00-8:00am): five carloads of oatmeal were attacked in Castle Street as they made their way to Mr. Caswell’s business on George’s Quay. All the oatmeal was seized. Boat at Arthur’s Quay seized: A sail boat loading oatmeal for Kilrush was seized. The people took most of the stock before Police succeeded in protecting four car loads of it for the proprietor. Hogan’s Mills seized: A huge crowd of people took over the mills, smashed the windows, and took around 200 bags of flour and hundreds of loaves of bread. Boat seized at Merchant’s Quay: A large group took over a sail boat from Askeaton at the Long Dock. Every bag of flour on board was carried away. Row boats from the North Strand assist the raid: The Limerick Chronicle described how “row boats from the North Strand pulled up to assist the attack, and in half an hour all the property had vanished. The number of bags was sixty.” General Sir Edward Blakeney deploys military: The Dragoons, 60th Rifles and 56th regiment were sent to protect the banks, public offices and merchant’s stores. Rioter’s response: As if expecting large detachments of military, the crowd split up into many small groups and launched raids on food stores across the city, evading most of the military until about 3pm. Gabbett’s Store attacked: This assault by the crowd did not succeed. They used stones and sledges to gain access but to no avail. The military had arrived and were pelted with stones, which knocked off the helmets of some Dragoons. Russell’s Store attacked: “They attacked the stores of John N. Russell, in Henry Street, but without effect, they were vigorously defended.” Materson’s Surrounded: “They surrounded the bacon stores of Materson’s in Roche’s Street and thundered loudly at the gates for some time, until the arrival of a military party.” Roche’s Bakery raided: “…the large bakery of Mr. Roche, in Brunswick Street, was plundered of its contents, and the loaves flung into the street.” Eason’s, Lyon’s and Hill’s bakeries raided: Each were raided and all of their bread was taken. Bread Carts Seized: “The bread carts that supplied the retailers were arrested on their way and forcibly emptied of their burden.” Butter Weigh House raided: “A large crowd of people rushed to the Butter House and carried away many [up to 50] firkins of butter….most of this was recovered soon after by the laudable exertion of individuals.” O’Shea’s store raided: This store, which was located near the Ordnance Barracks, was robbed of its stock of coarse salt. McNamara’s store raided: Denmark Street. Contents not specified. Mr. Shea’s Bacon store raided: It was “burst open, and a great quantity of provision including pork heads, hams, and flitches of bacon and lard swept away by the invaders.” Cusack’s store raided: Located on Pump Lane. Was “robbed by the mob.” Nash’s Store on Sexton Street was also targeted and “several firkins of butter” were swept away. 60th Rifles make an arrest: As this group of soldiers captured one of the rioters near George’s Quay, they were pelted with stones. They fired in response but hit an innocent bystander in the leg. He was removed to the County Infirmary and his leg was amputated above the knee. Emergency meeting: The Mayor chaired a hastily arranged meeting of the Relief Committee at the Exchange, where the riot was condemned, and a Poor Fund was established. A large sum of money was immediately put forward to purchase oatmeal for the purpose of reselling it at an affordable rate. After two days it amounted to over eleven hundred pounds. While this meeting was in session reports reached the city that the mill at Ballyclogh was raided and everything was taken. They even “[swept] the lofts of raw grain.”

The following letter published in the Limerick Chronicle explains the root of the disturbance and denounces the fact that the same merchants that raised the price of oatmeal were now hypocritically offering charity, to buy their own product.

Temporary Respite

As money flooded into the Relief Fund, there were no further disturbances on the streets of Limerick. This money was used to buy potatoes and oatmeal, for the purpose of reselling to the poor at a low price. Soon forty car loads of potatoes arrived in the city under the escort of the 60th Rifles. These were sold in small quantities. Four temporary oatmeal stations were opened, where oatmeal was sold for 3d. a pottle; this worked out at half the market price. This system was costing the Relief Committee 80l. a day to sustain. The clergy of all denominations helped to organise the distribution of food. The Quakers of the city, represented by Benjamin Clark Fisher, subscribed 115l. towards the fund. Philanthropists stepped forward to help out. Joseph Barrington offered the use of his mills at Barrington’s Bridge, Lisnagry to prepare corn for consumption gratis. Hood and Boyd, of O’Brien’s Bridge (late of Glasgow), helped those suffering in rural areas outside the city when they “delivered upwards of 33 tons of oatmeal, to the poor without money, but merely upon the tickets of the gentry in their neighbourhood.” A significant portion of the relief fund was used to create work for the unemployed; with around 5,000 people receiving temporary work in this way. After two weeks the fund was almost exhausted. Here is the breakdown of costs that appeared in the Limerick Chronicle (14 July)

Total amount of subscriptions = £2313

Costs

Loss on oatmeal purchased, and resold at reduced rate = 966l.

Loss on potatoes, ditto, and bounty paid thereon = 236l.

Paid to Sick and Indignent Roomkeepers Society = 200l.

Poor of St. Mary’s Parish = 16l.

Committee of Works, for providing employment = 435l.

To the Mendicity = 21l. 10s.

Poor in Mungret = 25l.

Contingencies = 60l.

Total Costs = £1959 10s.

Amount remaining = £383