The Great Famine in Ireland from 1845 to 1852, caused by potato disease, led to starvation, disease, and mass emigration.
In 1740, a severe famine occurred in Ireland.
From 1741 to 1847, the mostly rural Irish population experienced rapid growth, increasing from about 2 million to up to 8.75 million by 1847. This significant population growth had implications for the country's economy and resources.
Starting in 1782, Ireland experienced two years of crop failure, leading to distress. Local and central intervention, including an embargo on food exports, helped alleviate the situation.
By 1800, the potato had become a staple food for one in three Irish people, especially in winter, eventually becoming a staple year-round for farmers. This dependency on potatoes would later exacerbate the impact of the Great Famine.
The parliaments of the Pale, before the union with Great Britain in 1801, adopted a policy of retaining food raised by the Irish people until they were fed during periods of distress. This approach was advocated by The Nation as a proper remedy during the Irish Potato Famine.
In 1830, Ireland's mean age of marriage was 23.8 for women and 27.5 for men, showing a change from previous years. In the decades after the Famine, the age of marriage had risen to 28–29 for women and 33 for men.
In 1838, an Act was passed in Ireland to punish vagrants and men who neglected their wives and children. The Act mandated up to thirty days of hard labor as punishment for begging and neglect.
In 1840, approximately 40% of the population in the south and west of Ireland heavily depended on the potato as their primary food source. The introduction of the potato in the late sixteenth century made it a staple in Irish diets due to its ease of cultivation and adaptability to the local climate.
On the eve of the Famine in 1841, Ireland made up nearly one third of the UK population. However, by the census of 1911, just 70 years later, it accounted for only a tenth of the population, showcasing a significant decline in Irish population growth due to the Famine and subsequent emigration.
Severe distress was seen in the west of Ireland, particularly in Clare, Kerry, and Mayo in the year 1842.
In 1843, potato blight was reported around the ports of New York and Philadelphia, signaling the beginning of the devastating impact on potato crops.
In 1844, the spread of potato blight in Europe was observed, with Belgium, France, and England experiencing crop losses and significant outbreaks, indicating the severity of the impending crisis.
The great Irish potato famine leads to mass starvation and prompts a large influx of Irish immigrants to the United States, triggering anti-Catholic and nativist reactions.
On August 3, 1845, the Longford Poor Law Union reported that it was unable to obtain potatoes due to the blight. This highlighted the severity of the potato crop failure during the Irish Potato Famine.
On 16 August 1845, The Gardeners' Chronicle and Horticultural Gazette reported a peculiar blight on the Isle of Wight, signaling the beginning of the devastating potato blight outbreak in Europe.
The Great Irish Hunger, also known as the Potato Famine, began on September 9, 1845. It resulted in a significant decrease in the population of Ireland, with around 1 million people dying and another 1 million emigrating, mainly to America.
On 11 September 1845, the Freeman's Journal reported the emergence of 'cholera' in potatoes in Ireland, particularly in the northern regions, indicating the rapid spread of the potato blight.
On 13 September 1845, the first report of potato blight in Ireland was documented. The crops in Dublin were observed to be perishing, raising concerns about the potential impact on the country's food supply.
On 15 October 1845, Prime Minister Robert Peel called for an emergency meeting of his Cabinet scheduled for 31 October in response to the devastating reports of potato crop failures in Ireland. Peel decided to repeal the Corn Laws and initiate a Scientific Commission to investigate the potato blight.
The emergency Cabinet meeting held on 31 October discussed the potato failure in Ireland. Peel proposed the establishment of a relief commission and advancing money to the Lord-Lieutenant, but differences arose over the use of public funds and the impact on Corn Laws.
The Cabinet split on 1 November over the issue of Corn Laws and the relief measures for the Irish potato failure. Peel's stance on the incompatibility of providing relief and maintaining Corn Laws led to a majority voting against him.
The Cabinet meeting adjourned till 6 November due to the inability to reach a decision on the relief measures and the Corn Laws issue. The debate on public funds allocation and the impact on grain importation continued.
Chief Secretary of Ireland, Mr Labouchere, issued a letter outlining measures for drainage and sub-soiling to improve agricultural practices in Ireland. This was an attempt to address the agricultural challenges faced by the Irish population.
On December 8, 1845, Daniel O'Connell proposed various solutions to the impending disaster caused by the potato blight in Ireland. He suggested measures like introducing Tenant-Right and opening ports to imports to alleviate the famine. O'Connell emphasized the need for an Irish parliament to address the crisis.
Rear-Admiral Hugh Pigot commanded the Royal Navy squadron stationed in Cork to undertake significant relief operations from 1846 to 1847, transporting government relief into the port of Cork and other ports along the Irish coast.
On May 1st, the Roman Catholic clergy of Derry documented a list of deaths from starvation in the diocesan archive, labeling it as 'The Records of the Murders of the Irish Peasantry' during the years 1846-47.
Sir Robert Peel was defeated on the second reading of an Irish Coercion Bill aimed at addressing famine-related violence, leading to his resignation as Prime Minister four days later.
On 29 June 1846, Sir Robert Peel was forced to resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His resignation was influenced by the challenges faced during the Irish Potato Famine.
On July 21st, a Treasury Minute announced the closure of all public measures for combatting the potato blight in Ireland. Despite the reappearance of the blight, Trevelyan argued for ending relief operations to avoid long-term dependency on government support.
Mr. Erichsen took on the task of importing Indian corn to Ireland to address rising food prices. He made multiple purchases of food items including Indian corn, Egyptian wheat, barley, and barley meal between August 26, 1846, and January 15, 1847.
On September 20, 1846, Edward Lucas, the chairman of the Relief Commission, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of current and planned measures in addressing the Irish Potato Famine. He believed that the situation required more substantial solutions.
Sir Robert Peel ordered the secret purchase of £100,000 worth of Indian corn and meal from America to be distributed in Ireland in response to the potato crop failure.
The Scientific Commissioners reported that half of the potato crop in Ireland had been destroyed, exacerbating the ongoing famine crisis.
The Mansion House Committee in Dublin confirmed that more than one-third of the entire potato crop in Ireland had already been destroyed, highlighting the severity of the situation.
The Relief Commission in Ireland held its first meeting to address the escalating crisis caused by the potato crop failure and subsequent famine.
On December 26, 1846, Chief Poor Law Commissioner in Ireland, Edward Twistleton, raised concerns about anti-Irish sentiments in the press affecting government policies and private charity efforts.
On 27 December 1846, Trevelyan ordered every available steamship to Ireland to assist in relief efforts during the Irish Potato Famine.
On 14 January 1847, Rear-Admiral Hugh Pigot received orders to distribute supplies from the British Relief Association and treat them identically to government aid during the Irish Potato Famine.
A Treasury note sent to the Relief Commissioners on February 10th emphasized that the transformation of Ireland into a self-sufficient state depended on the efforts of the upper and middle classes.
On February 25th, government officer Captain Pole commented that areas outside Dublin were considered uncivilised during the Irish Potato Famine relief efforts.
On 1 March 1847, the Bank of England announced plans to raise a loan of £14 million to alleviate the Irish crisis caused by the famine. However, the intended relief did not materialize as expected.
Pope Pius IX issued the encyclical Praedecessores nostros on March 25, 1847, calling on the Catholic world to contribute financially and spiritually to Irish famine relief efforts. This played a significant role in international fundraising for Ireland during the Great Famine.
On December 2, 1847, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Wood, attributed the causes of the Irish Potato Famine to various factors, including the failure of the potato crop and inadequate relief efforts.
On January 4th, Twistleton expressed his desire for more elected boards to be dissolved and replaced by paid officials.
On January 29th, Trevelyan intervened in a plan to send female Irish orphans aged 14 to 18 to Australia, recommending against it.
On July 29, 1848, an uprising against the British government in Ireland was led by William Smith O'Brien. The rebellion culminated in a skirmish at 'Widow McCormack's house' in County Tipperary, leading to the leaders either fleeing to America or facing transportation sentences.
On January 21st, Twistleton made a comment suggesting that the approach to poor relief might be viewed as slowly murdering the impoverished individuals.
Lord Clarendon, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, wrote a letter to Russell urging the government to propose additional relief measures in response to the suffering in the west of Ireland during the Great Famine.
The devastating period of the Irish Potato Famine came to an end in 1850, marking the conclusion of widespread hunger, disease, and mass emigration.
By 1851, the population of Ireland had decreased to 6,575,000, showing a significant drop of 1,600,000 in just ten years. The 1851 census, although famous, is considered flawed by historians Cormac Ó Gráda and Joel Mokyr, who argue that it provides an incomplete and biased count of the famine fatalities.
By 1852, the Irish Potato Famine came to an end after several years of devastation. The population had significantly reduced, and the event sparked a renewed desire for Irish independence from British rule.
John Mitchel, a leader of the Young Ireland Movement, criticized the British government's handling of the famine, referring to it as an 'artificial famine' caused by policies that exacerbated the crisis in a rich and fertile land like Ireland.
In 1861, John Mitchel published 'The Last Conquest of Ireland (Perhaps)', a widely circulated tract on the famine. He accused the British of deliberate genocide during the famine, stating 'The Almighty sent the potato blight, but the English created the Famine.' Mitchel's writings led to his conviction for sedition.
The potato blight returned to Ireland in 1879, impacting the rural cottier tenant farmers and labourers. This period also marked the 'Land War', one of the largest agrarian movements in nineteenth-century Europe.
Close to 1000 individuals were interned under the 1881 Coercion Act for suspected membership in the Land League, led by Michael Davitt. The act aimed to suppress the mass boycott of landlords and evictions.
By 1901, Ireland's population had been significantly reduced to just 4.4 million due to the effects of the Great Famine and ongoing emigration, making it one of the few countries to experience a population decline over the past 170 years.
In the 1990s, law professors Charles E. Rice and Francis Boyle argued that the British government's actions during the Irish Famine amounted to genocide under the retrospective application of Article 2 of the Hague Convention of 1948. This assessment has been supported by later genocide scholars.
The annual Great Famine walk from Doolough to Louisburgh, County Mayo, was inaugurated in 1988. Led by notable personalities like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and representatives of the Choctaw nation, the walk links the memory of the famine with contemporary human rights issues.
The Great Irish Famine is a book by Canon John O'Rourke, first published in 1874. It offers insights into the impact of the famine on Ireland and its people, highlighting the widespread suffering and loss during that period.
The Great Hunger is a book by Cecil Woodham-Smith, first published in 1962. It provides a detailed account of the Irish Famine of 1845-1849, exploring the causes and consequences of the devastating event.
A four-part Irish documentary series from 1992 that focused on the Great Irish Famine, providing insights into the historical event.
In 1996, the U.S. state of New Jersey added the Irish Famine to its 'Holocaust and Genocide Curriculum' in secondary schools. This decision came after lobbying efforts by Irish-American groups to raise awareness about the famine's historical significance.
The Ireland's National Famine Memorial, located in Murrisk Millennium Peace Park, was unveiled on 20 July 1997 by then-President Mary Robinson. The memorial consists of a bronze sculpture of a coffin ship with skeletons symbolising the emigrants who did not survive the journey across the ocean.
On September 30, 2017, Glasgow Celtic FC, a soccer team founded by Irish immigrants, included a commemorative patch on their uniform to honor the victims of the Irish Potato Famine. This act symbolized remembrance and respect for those affected by the Great Hunger.
Ambassador Daniel Mulhall wrote a blog discussing the historical background of Black '47: Ireland's Great Famine and its after-effects. The blog highlights the importance of understanding the Famine in the context of Irish and American history.
The British government's poor management and the negligent role of Irish landlords worsened the situation in Ireland, leading to an increase in the number of deaths.
A radio essay titled 'Contagion In This Family's Past And Present' was aired on New England Public Media in 2021 to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the start of the Great Hunger.
In the first week of March 2022, commissioners suspended outdoor relief to the able-bodied in 24 unions to encourage them to return to work on the land and increase harvest production.
On March 30, 2022, Clarendon wrote to Russell discussing the removal of discontent by addressing the distress that was causing negative sentiments.
McGee expressed concerns about the deteriorating famine situation in Ireland and disagreed with the idea of sending people to Canada in large numbers. He suggested that the government should prohibit the export of grain instead.