Richard Whately (1787-1863), was a significant but often overlooked
figure in nineteenth-century Ireland. Appointed as Church of Ireland
archbishop of Dublin in 1831, his liberalism made him a highly
controversial figure within his own church. His wide-ranging involvement
in Irish economic and social affairs, including as chairman of the
Whately Commission of inquiry into Irish poverty and as the de facto
head of the National Education Board, saw him move far outside the
ecclesiastical sphere to engage positively with a broad range of
economic and political issues. A key thinker on various aspects of the
condition of Ireland, Whately came to represent a form of liberal
unionism that sought to strengthen Ireland's place within the Union by
means of reformist schemes of improvement. A singular and eccentric
character, many of Whately's efforts at reform floundered in the face of
opposition. However, his willingness to sanction novel devices as part
of an effort to instigate improvment speaks to an overlooked home-grown
reformist impulse designed to meet the needs of Irish circumstances.
This biographical account examines the life and career of an influential
figure, and assesses the impact of his ideas and exertions in the 'age
of reform'. [Subject: Irish Studies, History, 19th C. Studies,
Biography, Religious Studies, Age of Reform, History of Education,
Church of Ireland]
