One of the great ethnographies of our time! Arensberg's subject is the countryman at work. How does he make his livelihood in the Irish countryside? What is the work he does, and what are his incentives and rewards? This classic anthropological study of Ireland is the definitive work on the distinctive Irish peasant, his rural customs, beliefs, and way of life. First published in 1936, this book offers an introduction to Irish life, to Irish rural custom, and to the interwoven causes and effects explaining the cultural system and the values that hold it together.