How did Raisins get into Irish Soda Bread. Here's Why!

Edited for Clarification.
Ireland didn't adopt soda bread until the middle of the 19th century after the Potato Famine forced a change of diet to avoid future disasters.
Learn how Soda Bread (they don't call it Irish Soda Bread in Ireland) came to America with it cousin the Currant Cake and they merged because of the election of an Irish American President.
Currant Bread, Raisin Bread, and special occasion breads used Raisins, Sultanas, "currants", and candied fruit to celebrate Christmas. They weren't made everyday.
Soda Bread has flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk. It was an everyday bread and didn't contain raisins.
Currant Cake used "currants" imported by the English government from Greece, the only location that could produce them. Raisins and Sultanas came from a wider range of countries.
"Currants" today are found in stores labelled as "Zante Currants." Zante is a Greek Island included in the wider region that is suitable for growing "Currants."
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Stories summarized and condensed from
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Soda Bread Ingredients
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0242, Page 17
Currant Cake/Bread Quotes
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1113, Page 334
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0318, Page 086
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0403, Page 363
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0317, Page 193
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0353, Page 534
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0313, Page 138
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0137B, Page 24_026
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0101, Page 116
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0111, Page 107
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0017, Page 304
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[@AAAndrew]

My Irish ancestors arrived here decades before the famine, so it's interesting to learn that soda bread wasn't even on the menu. Personally, I like both varieties, traditional and with raisins, each for different kinds of meals. Thanks for the lesson, and loved to see the actual images of the reports. I will go out and read more of these.

[@erictaylor5462]

Isn't it great when you find something new about something you have studied for years?

[@19grand]

We don't have raisins in soda bread over here; we do have soda bread stuffed with stewed apple in County Armagh.

[@IrishSodaBreadSociety]

I presume you have sultanas and currants which appear in Irish Cook books. Raisins are big in the US, (and sold in Irish stores) so things here usually cross back over to Ireland at some time. The book "All in the Cooking" first published in 1946 Ireland and used to teach cooking in Irish schools through the 1970s has a recipe for "Soda Apple Cake": 5ozs flour, pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon bread soda, Sour milk. Filling: 3/4 lb. apples, sugar to sweeten, pinch ground cloves. Does that look familiar? As with all things, once something is added to the basic recipe, the name changes. Don't know how old you are, but if this is your mother's or grandmother's recipe, she may have learned it in school. Thanks for the note. Interesting to know that Soda Apple Cake is popular in County Armagh. Wish it was in County Tipperary when I was a kid. :-)

[@dianeg3376]

Thank you. That was very interesting. I have been making Irish soda bread for many years.

[@rebeccadees2300]

Very interesting... thank you for sharing.

[@rebeccadees2300]

Is there a way to get copies of these recipes? Book?

[@IrishSodaBreadSociety]

You can get more history and recipes at Sodabread.info

[@IrishSodaBreadSociety]

I'm working on a book on the History of Soda Bread. Should be out by Christmas.

[@adrienne1773]

Thank you, really enjoyed it.

[@IrishSodaBreadSociety]

Glad to hear it!