THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE

The Great Irish Famine

The Great Irish Famine

Introduction

Ireland's Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger, is historically dated 1845-1851, although its effects lingered until 1852. A parasitic fungus, Phytophthora infestans, transmitted to Ireland from North America and continental Europe by diseased potatoes and through bird droppings imported as fertilizer, first infected the Irish potato crop in September 1845. The disease, also known as blight, caused the potato to rot in the ground, making it inedible. Recurrent infestations of the blight, which led to the failure of the potato crop in three seasons out of four, had a catastrophic effect upon the Irish peasantry who were largely dependent on potatoes for subsistence (Bourke, 2003, p.87).

They had little opportunity to diversify because of restricted rental holdings, large families with consequent hereditary subdivision of land, and conditions of tenure that included the extortions of land agents, rack rents (excessive and frequently increased rents), and an absence of compensation for improvements. Potato consumption in Ireland just prior to 1845 was enormous, with the average male consuming 6.5 kg/14 lbs daily. Pigs, an important source of cheap meat and income for Irish farmers, ate potatoes as a basic fodder and their number dramatically fell from 1,412,813 in 1841 to 565,629 in 1848 (Bourke, 2003, p.87).

Discussion

Historians estimate that, as a result of the Irish potato famine, one million people died in the country, while another million and a half had emigrated from Ireland. Through death, eviction, and emigration, the population of the country was greatly reduced. With fewer people, more acreage was available, and farms increased in size. In 1870 and 1881, the British Parliament passed land-reform legislation, and ownership of the great estates transferred from landlords to independent farmers. The mass emigration that had begun during the famine continued for many decades, reaching its peak in the 1870s, when nearly one-sixth of the population left the country. Most émigrés started a new life in the United States, where they hoped to escape the desperate poverty at home. Those who remained in Ireland married later in life, if at all, and had fewer children. By 1900, the population of Ireland was only four million, half its size in 1841 (Boyle, 2006, p.543).

The potato famine left the economy of the country in ruins, and it took many years for Ireland to recover from the disaster. During the famine years, many farmers had shifted towards grazing cattle instead of growing food crops. With fewer men competing for work on the farms, wages increased. Eventually, industries were established in Ireland, creating new jobs.

Still, economic recovery was slow, but as land reforms were instituted in the late 1800s, farmers moved from cattle-grazing and small-scale crop farms toward dairy farms. In the north, shipbuilding yards and linen mills created new job opportunities, although such positions were usually available only to non-Catholic loyalists. Over the years, gradual improvements in modern transportation resulted in the construction of ports, railroads, and airports, which also encouraged private enterprise (Boyle, ...