Famine Memorial
Dublin, Ireland
Because the Famine was so devestating to Ireland and Europe, numerous Memorials, such as this one, were constructed in memory of the events that took place to remind the future of what can happen if history repeats itself. This particular Great Famine memorial was constructed at the Custom House Quays in Dublin – depicing thin sculptural figures who stand as if walking towards he emigration ships on he Dublin Quayside that were created by artist Rowan Gillespie.
About the Famine: The Great Potato Famine or “Gorta Mór” (means “Great Hunger” or “The Bad TImes”) struck Ireland from 1845 until 1852 causing over a million deaths. This was caused by a potato blight that struck internal country policies that killed alot of people. The Population of Ireland fell by 20-25% due to mortaliy and emigration. It was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration resulting from the death tolls. Over a million died and over a million emigrated. A potato blight ravaged potato crops throughout Europe, but struck Ireland the hardest because the population was entirely dependent on the potato for food. The effects of this catastrope has permanently changes Ireland’s demographics, politics, and cultural landscape. It struck hard because in the 17th/18th centuries, Irish Catholics were prohibited by penal laws from owning land, leasing land, voting, holding poliical office, and from living in a corporate town or within five miles of one, from obtaining education, entering a profession, and anything else that would make them succeed in life.
The laws were reformed in 1793, and by 1829 Irish Catholics could sit in Parliament again following the Act of Emancipation. During the 18th century a middleman system was introduced for managing a landlord’s property, having the landlord’s agents (middlemen) collec rent, assuring the usually protestant landlord of a regular income and relieving them of any responsibility and leaving the tenants to exploitation by the middlemen. 80% of Ireland’s population was Catholic, the bulk of which lived in poverty and insecurity. The English and Anglo-Irish families owned most of the land, which was vast; many living afar in England as absentee landlords – collecting tithings through the middlemen. In 1843 the British Governmen set up a Royal Commission to inquire into he laws with regard to occupation of land in Ireland, which was run by landlords and no tenants. It was understood that most of the tenants subsisted on only the potato and water, rough shelters as cabins barely protecting them from weather, and almost no possessions, bedding, etc. Potatoes were introduced originally as a garden crop of the gentry, but by the 17th century it became widespread as a supplementary rather than a principal food, with main diet revolving around butter, milk, and grain. By the 18th century, the Potato became the base food for the poor, especially during winter months. As cattle took up much of the land, the potato became the fodder crop for livestock right before the famine as well, 33% of the crop in fact towards this purpose. The Commission investigated the bad relations that existed between landlord and tenant, no hereditary loyalty, fuedual ties, or paternalism that they were used to with tenants in England as Ireland was a conquered country. In many ways, the tenants were like slaves to the landlords; and the middlemen the overseers, land sharks, and bloodsuckers. Right before the famine, the British Government was aware that poverty was so widespread that one third of all Irish small holdings could not even support their own families after paying rent. Ireland at the time had a populaion of over 8 million wih 2/3 of the population depending on agriculture for survival. Prior to the Famine, the only two diseases affecting potatoe crops was “dry rot” or “curl”. Crop failures becan in 1728, with much destruction by 1739, and again in 1740, and again in 1770, and 1800, and 1807 with half the crop lost. 1821-1822 complete crop failures in Munster and Connaught, 1830-1821 in Mayo, Donegal, and Galway. 1832-1836 large number of districs suffered serious loss, and 1835 failure in Ulster. 1836-1837 extensive failures throughout Ireland. 1839 failure was universal, and by 1844 it was understood the potato was unreliable. 1842-1844, then came the blight of Phytophthora infestans, the origin of which is unknown. It spread rapidly and by late 1845 devastated Central and Northern Europe. 1845 it destroyed 50% of all crops. By 1846 it took 3/4 of the harvest causing millions of destitute people looking for other work. 1846 were the first deaths related to starvation. 1847 seed potatoes became scarce to non-existent. Surviving crops were sent to England and other countries. Over 3 million Irish were hit with hunger and famine. The Irish started viewing the treatment of the famine by the British as the deliberate murder of their people and culture. Indian Corn and meal were secretly brought in from America to attend to the famine and hunger sold for a penny a pound, it came unground and inedible, requiring a labor intensive task to process before consumption. At the same time, exports of cattle and livestock out of Ireland increased during the famine. In addition, landlords started to evict the struggling Irish, grealy in 1847. From 1849 to 1854, There was an estimated 250,000-500,000 evictions. This led to revolts, rebellions, and rampage. Mass emigration out of Ireland came to fruition from 1845-1850 to England, Scotland, the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Unforunately an estimated 1 out of 5 died from disease and malnutrition. This marked a steep de-population of Ireland in the 19th century.
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