Public Health & Housing in Limerick City 1850 -1935 - A Geographical Analysis

Abstract

While the industrial era was underway in Europe during the nineteenth century, Ireland was also faced with the issues of epidemic disease and slum housing. Most of the research undertaken to date has focused on the urbanisation of major towns in Europe on themes such as health, housing and social conditions. In Ireland, research on the same topic has concentrated primarily on Dublin but relatively little has been done to date on the other cities and smaller towns. This thesis hopes to contribute to the small but growing volume of research on Limerick city, while also providing a reference point for the development of other Irish cities during the nineteenth century. This thesis aims to examine the extent of poor health and poor housing in Limerick city during the nineteenth and into the twentieth century and also aims to highlight the response of the local government in alleviating the situation. Overall, this research aims to provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the changing urban geography of residential areas in Limerick city from 1850-1935