A Note on Mutual Savings and Loan Societies in Nineteenth-Century Ireland

Abstract

Mutual savings and loan societies played an important role in social and economic life in nineteenth-century Ireland yet, to date, they have been overlooked by economic historians of the island. This article addresses this lacuna by providing an overview of the history of Friendly Society Loan Funds (FSLFs) and Building Societies. It finds that there were a variety of savings strategies in urban Ireland and concludes that the economic function of these mutual institutions sheds light on other aspects of Irish history, such as Loan Fund Societies (LFSs), savings banks and cooperative banks.