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Wildcat bankers or political failure? The Irish financial pantomime, 1797–1826

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  • Seán Kenny
  • John D Turner

Abstract

Using a new biography of banks, we examine the stability of Irish banking from 1797 to 1826 by constructing a failure rate series. We find that the ultimate cause of the frequent and severe banking crises was the crisis-prone structure of the banking system, which was designed to benefit the political elite. There is little evidence to suggest that wildcat banking or the failure of the Bank of Ireland to act as a lender of last resort were to blame. We also find that the main economic effect of the episodic crises was major diminutions in the money supply.

Suggested Citation

  • Seán Kenny & John D Turner, 2020. "Wildcat bankers or political failure? The Irish financial pantomime, 1797–1826," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 24(3), pages 522-577.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ereveh:v:24:y:2020:i:3:p:522-577.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ereh/hez010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kenny, Seán & Lennard, Jason & Turner, John D., 2021. "The macroeconomic effects of banking crises: Evidence from the United Kingdom, 1750–1938," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N23 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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