Irish Famine Facts

Abstract

The Irish Famine of 1845-1850 caused over one million deaths and forced a further one million people to flee the country. In this book, the author sets out to provide a synopsis of the documented facts and scientific background to the famine. The poverty, the hardship of subsistence living and the role of the potato in pre-famine Irleand are described. So also is the coming of blight and the response of the Government and voluntary bodies to the famine. The consequences of the disaster for the people are dealt with in detail. The book is fully illustrated and presents in a concise format the story of one of the greatest human tragedies of the nineteenth century.