The Famine - Notes

The Famine in Ireland 1845-48

Key Points
During the early decades of the 1800’s, the population of Ireland continued to rise rapidly. The vast majority of people were living on small farms and very dependent on one crop, the potato. However, disaster struck in 1845 when a disease called “blight” struck the potato crop and this was repeated for the following years. Mass starvation occurred which resulted in a huge death toll of around one million people. Another million Irish people were forced to emigrate to the USA, Canada and Britain.

In this Unit, you should concentrate on the following:

• What caused the famine in Ireland?
• What were the various responses to the famine?
• What were the main consequences of the famine?

A person living in Ireland during the famine
A typical small farmer

• Lived in west of Ireland
• Had a small farm of 8 acres
• Had to pay rent to local landlord
• Grew both oats and potatoes
• Lived in a small thatched cottage
• Had a family of seven children

The terrible “blight”

• First appeared in 1845
• Potato plants went black and potatoes rotted
• One-third of crop destroyed
• 1846 - more potatoes rotted
• People in west began to starve

The Work-house

• These were opened all over country
• Whole families forced to go there
• Males and females were separated
• Very bad living conditions there
• Men and women had to work
• Disease spread rapidly and many died

The Soup-kitchens

• Set up all over the west
• Run by the Quakers and other Charities
• Soup cooked in huge boilers
• Given directly to each person who came
• Money collected from many countries
• People became quite desperate

British Government response

• Sent maize to Ireland from USA
• Food depots set up to sell and distribute this
• Public works schemes also created to provide jobs
• People paid a few pennies per day
• Road-building schemes created
• However, most people too weak to work

Worst year of the famine

• 1847 called “Black 47”
• Over quarter million died
• Massive emigration to USA and Canada
• Many ships overcrowded and people died on voyage
• Ships often called the “coffin ships”

End of famine

• 1848 - worst was over
• Population had decreased by 2 million
• West worst affected by famine
• Less Irish speakers left and language began a decline
• Beginning of large-scale continuous emigration

Review Questions

1. Why did the population of Ireland increase so rapidly in the early 1800’s?

2. What was a tenant-farmer?

3. What was a workhouse?

4. What was the very first response of the British government to the famine in 1845?

5. What was the problem with “public-works” schemes as a method of dealing with the problem of famine?

6. How did the religious group, the Quakers, help during the famine?

7. What was the primary cause of the famine in Ireland?

8. What were some of the major problems with workhouses during the famine?

9. What were coffin-ships?

10. What were some of the main consequences of the famine?