The Famine

• The Famine in Ireland led to a significant decrease in the population due to starvation, disease, and emigration.
• One cause of rapid population growth was that people married young and had large families
• Primary source of food was potatoes
• Potatoes were highly nutritios and could feed alot of people.
• Large tenant farmers rented over 30 acres
• Large tenant farmers ate milk, meat and veg and had labourors
• Small tenant farmers had 5 to 30 acres
• Small tenant farmers ate milk and potatoes.
• Poorest were called landless labourers
• Poorest were also called spilpini and cottiers.
• Cottiers had 1 acre and travelled looking for work.
• Main cause of the famine was the blight
• Blight-an airborn disease that caused leaves to turn yellow and fall off, made potaotoes inedible
• Blight arrived in Ireland in 1845 and spread rapidly
• 4 million people relied on potatoes and were very affected by the blight.
• Subdivision of land- people farming on smaller areas of land, they were dividing land between people in their family
• Cottiers worked in exchange for rent,had no money to buy other food.
• Blight arrived in 1845 but didnt affect the crop too bad.
• Blight returned in 1846 and 75% of the potatoe crop was destroyed
• Led to starvation for the poorest and diseases such as typhus and scarlet fever spread and killed people.
• 1847 known as Black 47
• 1847 the blight was less but there was no seed as it was eaten so no food.
• in 1848 more potatoes were planted but blight struck again. Causing people who survived to die or emigrate.
• Blight returned in 1849 and 1850 but was not bad.
• In 1845, Robert Peel imported maize to feed millions for a month.
• Peel set up public work schemes to help poor to make money by helping built roads.
• People went to live in government run houses, were overcrowded and dirty,worked there to pay for it
• New british government didnt want to interfere by sending money on famine refief.
• Man in charge of government- Charles, described famine as judgement of god and the irish deserved it.
• Irelands population fell by 2 million.
• Subdivition- dividing land between sons
• Subdivition ended and land was givin to the oldest son
• Agriculture changed from crop to cattle
• Anti-British feeding inceased as irish complained Britsh didnt help them enough
• Irish language declined as irish speakers died or emigrated
• High levels of emigration continued for decades.