Irish slave owners were compensated historian reveals

Celebration of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia. Photo by: Library of Congress

A Limerick based historian has revealed how prominent Irish families cashed in on the abolishment of slavery.

Liam Hogan is currently working on his first book, a study of the historical relationship between Limerick and slavery.

In an article for the website TheJournal.ie he explains how over 100 Irish families were financially rewarded when the British government finally abolished slavery in most of its colonies 1834.

Hogan writes that the British paid slave owners over $30 million in compensation for the loss of their ‘property.’

Anti-slavery advocate Daniel O’Connell protested against this compensation payment and requested that the names of those receiving this money be made public, according to Hogan.