Clachan Publishers in reprinting this 150 year old book has made a print copy available of Henry Coulters first-hand account of the condition and prospects of the people living in the western counties of Ireland in 1862. Coulter was a special correspondent for the Saunder's Newsletter who was not content simply to give general impressions of what he observed, but has supplied us with detailed information about the harvest, wages, trade and prices in Athlone, Counties Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Roscommon. This carefully researched edition supplies us with footnotes and an index not available in the original, making it a rich source of information for those interested in the local histories of these areas and for those exploring how their ancestors actually lived.