ABSTRACT
'Ireland' is one of the most compelling and affecting entries in the Illustrations of Political Economy series, well-written and particularly strong in its characterisation of Dora Sullivan as well as in its aggressive presentation of several controversial issues. The systematic exploitation of the poor dramatised in 'Ireland' leads to a consideration of the themes of illiteracy, ignorance, and education. Martineau never wrote about social problems without offering viable solutions for solving those problems, and education was always a primary panacea, regardless of the nature of the issue. Lack of education leads to lack of understanding and vulnerability to exploitation; hence her determination, in this series, to illustrate the 'utility and beauty' of the science that explains, clarifies and permits social change through intellectual understanding. Dora Sullivan was one of the most promising of the troop, and master praised the prudence of her parents, and her own docility, for coming to school as regularly as ever when she was past sixteen.
