This book presents chapters 20 to 26 of Henry Coulter's book The West of Ireland: Its Existing Condition and Prospects, first published in 1862. It offers for the first time in many years, local historians and those interested in family history access to a print version of the specific sections of this important historic source related to counties Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Roscommon. Coulter was the special correspondent for the West of Ireland on the Saunder's Newsletter. He reported on the effects of a series of poor harvests and the prospect of impending famine. His investigations took him into the homes of the gentry, and their tenants. He reported on the state of agriculture and trade and particularly on the prospect of fuel scarcity after a very wet summer. With him we can explore the condition of small farmers, the agitation for tenants' rights, the decline of the Rundale system and high rents and evictions. He discusses such developments as Belleek Porcelain, the Creevilia Ironworks as well as reporting on efforts to improve the land and trade. These chapters were bound to interest those exploring in the history of the North West of Ireland and those with ancestral roots in the area. This edition has been enhanced by the inclusion of an index and extensive, carefully researched footnotes not found in the original or in other scanned editions of the book.