Cost of living rose in 1916 as price of Great War was felt by Irish people

For Irish people in 1916, the outbreak of war saw rapid price increases in basics, writes UCC history lecturer Andrew McCarthy

THE population of Ireland in 1916 was slightly less than the 4.4 million recorded in the 1911 census, almost evenly balanced between male and female.

Ireland was predominantly rural, notwithstanding long-established urban centres such as Dublin and Cork, and the bustling industrial heartland of Belfast.