The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is Ireland's largest and best-known voluntary charitable organisation. It was established in Ireland in 1844. Today, there are 1,235 Conferences, the local unit of the Society, in Ireland with over 10,000 members and 1,500 auxiliary members. For the first time, this book records the details of the Society's origins in Ireland and its work in communities all over the country, through the personal recollections of members of the Society and an overview of the services provided to those in need. This collaborative account weaves together the history, people and places of the SVP. It illustrates that, although the changing nature of poverty constantly requires new and flexible forms of response by the Society, it is through the actions of ordinary people that the spirit and vision of the Society of St.Vincent de Paul endures.