Regardless of the religious differences between the two cities, the poorest people in Dublin and Belfast (and other Irish cities) faced the same daily problems:
• Due to the rapid growth in towns and cities, overcrowding became a serious problem, leading to one, and sometimes two, families living in just one room.
• The water and sewerage systems could not deal with the increase, leading to sewerage overflows directly into the rivers where people got their water.
• Diseases such as typhoid, cholera, smallpox, scarlet fever and tuberculosis were common in cities and towns. Death rates amongst infants were particularly high.
• Adults and children both worked in factories and on the docks to make enough money to support their families. It was common to work from 5.30 am until 8 pm, six days a week, with only Sundays off.
• Employment was often casual, meaning that nobody knew if they had work from day to day, especially on the docks.
• People were prepared to work for low wages as there was great competition for jobs.
• Fighting and drinking became popular pastimes to help people cope with, and forget, the harshness of their lives. This led to a high crime rate in urban areas.
