Struggle
On the Farm in Ballycullen, Co. Wicklow in the 1930s.
On the farm in Ballycullen, Co. Wicklow in the 1930s. The people pictured, left to right, are Bella Moore, William Smith Snr., Ellen Smith, Annie Stone, and William Smith Jnr.
Courtesy of Wicklow County LibrariesOn the Farm in Ballycullen, Co. Wicklow in the 1930s.
Courtesy of Wicklow County Libraries
Courtesy of Wicklow County Libraries
On the Farm in Ballycullen, Co. Wicklow in the 1930s.
On the farm in Ballycullen, Co. Wicklow in the 1930s. The people pictured, left to right, are Bella Moore, William Smith Snr., Ellen Smith, Annie Stone, and William Smith Jnr.
Courtesy of Wicklow County Libraries
Farmers 1953
Agricultural view of Rathdrum showing farmers working with hay and tractor.
© Lensmen Photographic ArchiveFarmers 1953
© Lensmen Photographic Archive
© Lensmen Photographic Archive
Farmers 1953
Agricultural view of Rathdrum showing farmers working with hay and tractor.
© Lensmen Photographic ArchiveIn 1929, the world fell into an economic depression that lasted until the late 1930s. However, Irish farming did not properly recover until the 1980s.
The 1930s had been particularly difficult because farmers had very little money and no equipment. To make matters worse, they could not improve their lot because there was nobody to lend them money and nobody in Europe could afford their produce.
The farmers decided they needed to take action. In 1939, they formed the Irish Farmers' Federation. A general strike was announced to focus attention on the plight of the industry and to deal with their issues.