Beside several others in various trades there are 438 men, who have, on an average, a family of five, including a wife, children or aged and destitute parents; thereby making more than 2560 souls... We will feel most happy to find this our report meet the attention which the cause of humanity, the safety of the town and county demand,...

We are, Sir, your Most obedient Servants,
M. Gallagher (Mayor
M. Kernaghan
Wm. Patrickson
Peter O'Connor
Henry O'Connor (Mayor elect)

Sligo 22 December 1845

"Comparative account of the number of Labourers, Coopers, Porters, and carriers employed in Sligo during the month of December 1843, 1844 and 1845"

Street & Store	Owner or Occupiers	Labourers/Coopers 1843 & 1844	Labourers/Coopers in 1845	Trade or Business
New Market Lane	James Gallagher	12/0	12/0 (some partially employed)	Corn Trade
Corn Market	Wm. Christian	7/0	7/0	Custom & Weight Master
Pound Street	Widow of Killelea Hugh Rooney Dominick Henry	12/0 12/4 8/0	6/0 16/8 8/0	Butter & Salt Provision, Beef &Pork Tobacco & General Business
Old Market Street	Peter O'Connor Robert Sherlock John Hart	24/0 12/0 10/0	12/0 12/0 (some partially) 6/0 (some partially)	Corn & General Business grain & Rectifying Distillers Grain & Salt
High Street	M. Giblin & Co. Andrew Walker Wm. Kernaghan	14/0 14/0 26/0	6/0 (some partially) 14/0 6/0	Grain Tobacco, Chandling & General Business Grain & General Trades
Radcliff Street	M. Madden & Co	20/1	15/1	Grain, Brewery etc
Water Lane	W. A. Woods John Anderson	4/0 11/1	1/0 11/1	Tan Yard Brewery
Castle Street	Dr. Conolan Moses Monds	12/0 8/0	2/0 6/0	Corn Store General Trade
Linen Hall Street	John Read	12/0	8/0	Coach Builder
River Side	G. C. Martin & Co. J. & F. O'Donovan	40/2 0/0	0/0 20/2	Distillery Distillery
New Bridge Street	James Waddle Dr. Conolan	24/4 0/0	0/0 12/4	Corn & Provision Stores (no trade given)
Stephen Street	Edward Kelly	8/0	4/0	Grain Store
Holborn Street	H. Kelly & Cleary	6/2	0/0	Beef & Pork
Old Bridge & Old Quay Street	Aldm. Martin	30/0	24/0	Flour mills & grain stores
Knox Street	John Beatty Robert Miller Robert Ramsey Edwd. Kelly Andrew Derrig Michl. Giblin	10/0 2/0 30/0 70/50 6/2 0/6	4/0 0/0 24/0 10/10 4/1 0/1	Corn Store Herring Store Corn Store & Chandler Provision & Grain. Provisions. Cooperage
Old Quay Street	Jn. O'Connor	4/0	6/0	Grain etc.
John Street	Issac Cordukes Richd. Smith James Hudson Henry O'Connor	6/1 2/0 8/0	8/0 0/0 12 (partially employed) 4 (partially employed) 0/0	Provision & Hams. Corn Stores. Corn Stores. Pork & Provision
Wine Street	Robert Culbertson Henry Gorman Henry O'Connor	12/0 8/4 50/20	5/0 10/4 8/3	Grain & Meal. Butter & Provision. Provision, butter and corn.
Union Street	H. Campbell A. Welsh	20/2 20/3	10/2 6/2	Provision & Hams. Provision & Grain
Lynn Place	I Cordukes Jas. Harper	16/0 6/2	6/1 4/1	Provision & Hams. Butter & General.
Finisklin Road	John Delaney Succesors to Cooper & Co.	11/0 10/1	5/0 6/1	Grain. Presd. Provision.
Old Quay	Hugh Leighton Dr. Conolan Michl. Conolly Geo. Tate Jas. Campbell	24/2 10/0 10/0 6/0 10/0	4/0 4/0 6/0 0/0 6/0	Grain & Provision. Grain Grain. Grain. Grain
Old Quay Street	R. B. Wynne F. Hudson & Co. Middleton & Co. O'Rorke & Co Jas. Cochran	3/0 4/0 4/0 2/0 0/0	1/0 4/0 4/0 2/0 2/0	Sugar & Wine. Coal. Coal. Coal. Import.
****	****	696/107	355/42	****

The importance of this document is that it shows how vulnerable the economy of Sligo town (population 10,000) was to the failure of the potato crop in 1845. Sligo had almost no manufacturing industries and the chief source of prosperity was its maritime trade. The bulk of the trade was the export of corn, meal, flour, butter and provisions. Consequent to the potato failure other crops were being retained for subsistence rather than being sold or exported.

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Contributor:
Jim McDonald
culrua@iol.ie

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Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.