Abstract

Can place-based policies reduce rural poverty? I examine this question through a unique early development programme in Ireland’s poorest regions: the Congested Districts Board. The Board tailored interventions to local conditions, aiming to boost employment and living standards. Using newly digitised, geo-coded investment data, I find for every £1 spent, the policy lifted three people out of absolute poverty, improving socio-economic conditions for the poorest. Agricultural interventions were the key mechanism, increasing capital and shifting production from low-value subsistence tillage to high-value pasture farming. This demonstrates that place-based policies aligned with a locality’s comparative advantage can generate substantial benefits for its community.

Keywords: agriculture, economic development, place-based, poverty, demography, economic history of Ireland