The early history of Ireland's toll roads would sound familiar to anyone living in Ireland today, stories of false promises, overhyped stock market companies and authorities on the ground engaging in corrupt practices to look after their own interest or that of acquaintances.
David Broderick's study is a follow on from his earlier work on the Dublin to Dunleer turnpike (ISBN 0-7165-2595-X) and details the rise and fall of turnpike roads on the island of Ireland. Looking at the map of such roads, it is interesting to note that there were no turnpike roads west of a line from Ennis to Roscommon Town to Coleraine.
The book brings to light the statute labour requirement, between 1615 and 1765, whereby each householder, cottier or labourer had to provide, free of charge, 6, eight hour days of labour for the purpose of road building/repair in their parish annually. More onerous requirements were placed on landowners, requiring provision of equipment in addition to the above.
A report commissioned in 1758 recommended that the problems which had arisen in this development phase could be rectified by nationalization, but like reports published in later centuries recommending similar treatment for the railway network, nothing arose from this. 100 years later, the remaining turnpike trusts were abolished.
The one failing I would see with this book is that the author has not tied the roads so mentioned back to modern day names (e.g., Dublin to Mullingar equals mainly the N4) and that no appendix of remaining features is given (such as the toll house at Clonard Co. Meath).