Horace Plunkett and the co-operative movement

Horace Plunkett and the Co-operative movement: One man who had a tremendous positive impact on Irish agriculture was Horace Plunkett, who led the introduction of the co-operative movement. In 1889, Plunkett established a co-operative butter-making industry in southwest Ireland, basing his structure on a Scandinavian model. In 1894 Plunkett founded the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society with 33 affiliated dairy co-operative societies or “creameries”. His organisation expanded rapidly; four years later there were 243 affiliated societies. Later, as an MEP at Westminster, he inspired the Recess Committee Report of 1896, which documented failure in Irish agriculture administration. The government eventually accepted his plan, and by the turn of the century the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (DATI) was established, with Plunkett as vice-president. Cooperatives still dominate Irish agriculture; you can learn more from their umbrella organisation, the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) (www.icos.ie) For more on Horace Plunkett, see www.plunkett.co.uk

Copyright Irish Farmers Journal

Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland Basilica, Knock, Co. Mayo

Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland Basilica at Knock, Co. Mayo, was built to cater for the huge numbers of pilgrims who visit Knock Shrine every year.

Star of the Order of St. Patrick

Star of the Order of St. Patrick. One of the pieces which make up the "Irish Crown Jewels" which were stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907 and which have never been recovered.

Christ Church Cathedral Archives

Christ Church Cathedral Archives

All rights reserved

Christ Church Waterford

Christ Church Waterford

All rights reserved

Pollution: white furniture

Copyright John Doheny

339 Lease by Cooper Penrose

Lease by Cooper Penrose, Woodhill, to Edward Sherrell, Summer Hill

Mayor's Walk Market

Famers on the Mayor's Walk in 1893. The street where calves, bonhams and hens were bought and sold during the Ballybricken Fair.

© Jack O'Neill