Description

Achill Island, Tattie-hokers in Scotland and the Kirkintilloch Tragedy, 1937 is a compelling historical study that explores one of the most poignant chapters in the history of Achill Island and Irish seasonal migration. Written by historian Brian Coghlan as part of the Maynooth Studies in Local History series, the book examines the tradition of “tattie-hoking,” where young men and women from Achill travelled to Scotland each summer to harvest potatoes in order to support their families.

The book centres on the tragic events of 16 September 1937, when ten young Achill men, aged between thirteen and twenty-three, lost their lives after toxic fumes engulfed their sleeping quarters in Kirkintilloch, Scotland. Coghlan reconstructs the disaster through historical records and contemporary accounts, examining the working and living conditions endured by migrant labourers, the official investigations that followed, and the political response from both the Irish and Scottish authorities. He also considers the wider social and economic circumstances that gave rise to seasonal migration and explains how the tragedy contributed to the eventual decline of the tattie-hoker tradition after the Second World War.

Concise yet thoroughly researched, this book offers valuable insight into the hardships, resilience, and sacrifices of Ireland’s migrant workers. Combining local history with broader themes of emigration, labour, and social change, it is an essential read for anyone interested in Achill Island, County Mayo, Irish migration, or twentieth-century Irish history.