The West of Ireland

These are the opening eleven chapters of Henry Coulter book 'The West of Ireland: Its Existing Condition and Prospects', first published in 1862. It offers local historians and genealogists access to a print version of the specific sections of this important book as it relates to Counties Athlone, Clare and Galway and the Connemara area. Coulter reports on poor harvests and the prospect of impending famine and state of agriculture and trade. The book gives a contemporary account of workhouses, gombeen men, high rents and evictions. It is a treasure trove for those interested in the history of the area and for for those with ancestral roots in the areas reported on. This edition has been enhanced by the inclusion of an index and extensive footnotes not found in the original or in other scanned editions of the book.