Bill Crawford (W. H. Crawford) had played a key role in the development of Irish economic, social and regional history for over forty years. The essays in Industry, Trade and People in Ireland, 1650-1950 are testimony to his many spheres of influence - as teacher, archivist, curator, researcher and writer - and focus on the themes in which Bill himself has been most interested: the relations between town and countryside, the linen industry and trade, land and population. His innovative use of historical sources, extensive scholarship, many publications and the enthusiasm for research which he imparts to so many people are acknowledged in this wide-ranging volume.
