FAMINE
Famine Sculpture by Edward Delaney.
(Click on the Photo to Enlarge)
FAMINE IN IRELAND
Potatoes are not native to Ireland; they were brought to Ireland from South America by Sir Walter Raleigh.
Potatoes thrived in the Irish soil. An acre of land could produce six tons of potatoes annually. The average Irish person ate 4 pounds of potatoes, butter and milk products each day before the famine.
The success of the potato made land division possible among the land poor Catholics. Unfortunately, the land was eventually over-divided. Those who did not own land, became tenant farmers on lands owned by wealthy English -- rents were sent to England. England's population tripled during the Industrial Revolution while Ireland's population was unsustainable and decreased as there was no industry in Ireland.
An overwhelming blight struck the potato in 1844 and persisted until 1850 (potatoes had suffered from blight at other times, 1830-35 in Galway, but not such widespread devastation). The Irish population numbered 8.25 million before the blight. One million died from hunger and disease attributable to the famine and two million immigrated -- mostly to America, Canada and Australia. Two-thirds immigrated to the United States. As of 2012, the Irish population is just back up to five million.
The British government's response to the famine was laissez-faire; leading to the decline of Irish culture. Gaelic was relegated to the poor because the English language was a meal ticket out of poverty, starvation, and despair.
The effects of the famine drastically changed Irish attitudes towards religion, sex, and the Irish identity. Before the famine, the Irish were flexible, free and easy. The land division was a disaster. With no land to divide, only the oldest son could inherit land. Widows did not encourage the oldest son to marry because they would have to share their house with another woman. When marriage did occur, wives were far younger than their husbands. The delayed marriage affected the next generation and so on.
I was surprised to learn that more women immigrated than men but it makes sense; what young woman wants to marry an old man? Men could join the clergy. Women could marry an old man (rare) or immigrate and become a domestic servant and have a better life.
Two other surprising effects of the famine: the rate of insanity quadrupled and celibacy increased by 50%. The illegitimacy rates decreased by 50%. This celibacy (or Catholic guilt) persisted up to the 1960's.
Why didn't the Irish eat fish? First, fish is not carbohydrate dense. Second, there was no refrigeration. At the time of the famine, fish was not a routine part of the Irish diet because the land was so productive. Further, fish was meant for penance. Last, most of the lakes and streams were owned by British or Scottish settlers - poaching was strictly forbidden.
Potatoes thrived in the Irish soil. An acre of land could produce six tons of potatoes annually. The average Irish person ate 4 pounds of potatoes, butter and milk products each day before the famine.
The success of the potato made land division possible among the land poor Catholics. Unfortunately, the land was eventually over-divided. Those who did not own land, became tenant farmers on lands owned by wealthy English -- rents were sent to England. England's population tripled during the Industrial Revolution while Ireland's population was unsustainable and decreased as there was no industry in Ireland.
An overwhelming blight struck the potato in 1844 and persisted until 1850 (potatoes had suffered from blight at other times, 1830-35 in Galway, but not such widespread devastation). The Irish population numbered 8.25 million before the blight. One million died from hunger and disease attributable to the famine and two million immigrated -- mostly to America, Canada and Australia. Two-thirds immigrated to the United States. As of 2012, the Irish population is just back up to five million.
The British government's response to the famine was laissez-faire; leading to the decline of Irish culture. Gaelic was relegated to the poor because the English language was a meal ticket out of poverty, starvation, and despair.
The effects of the famine drastically changed Irish attitudes towards religion, sex, and the Irish identity. Before the famine, the Irish were flexible, free and easy. The land division was a disaster. With no land to divide, only the oldest son could inherit land. Widows did not encourage the oldest son to marry because they would have to share their house with another woman. When marriage did occur, wives were far younger than their husbands. The delayed marriage affected the next generation and so on.
I was surprised to learn that more women immigrated than men but it makes sense; what young woman wants to marry an old man? Men could join the clergy. Women could marry an old man (rare) or immigrate and become a domestic servant and have a better life.
Two other surprising effects of the famine: the rate of insanity quadrupled and celibacy increased by 50%. The illegitimacy rates decreased by 50%. This celibacy (or Catholic guilt) persisted up to the 1960's.
Why didn't the Irish eat fish? First, fish is not carbohydrate dense. Second, there was no refrigeration. At the time of the famine, fish was not a routine part of the Irish diet because the land was so productive. Further, fish was meant for penance. Last, most of the lakes and streams were owned by British or Scottish settlers - poaching was strictly forbidden.
COFFIN SHIPS
Ships that brought the Irish to America became known as "coffin ships". They were over crowded and disease ridden vessels (cholera, dysentery, scurvy, typhus). The mortality rate could be as high as 30%. Many of the accounts of the voyage to America describe sharks following the ships to feed on the bodies that were thrown overboard.
Then in the late 1870's agricultural prices plummeted and starving tenant farmers and their families were summarily evicted from their homes spurring even more immigration to the United States.
In 1880, British troops took to guarding the crops of wealthy landowners. One such landowner was Captain Boycott. He was the first and most well known target of reformers attempting to ostracize landlords who mercilessly evicted their tenants. Now you know where we gained the term "Boycott".
The bronze sculpture in the photographs above is the National Famine Sculpture by John Behan, which was unveiled in 1997 in County Mayo by Ireland's President, Mary Robinson. Skeletons become part of the ship's rigging.
Then in the late 1870's agricultural prices plummeted and starving tenant farmers and their families were summarily evicted from their homes spurring even more immigration to the United States.
In 1880, British troops took to guarding the crops of wealthy landowners. One such landowner was Captain Boycott. He was the first and most well known target of reformers attempting to ostracize landlords who mercilessly evicted their tenants. Now you know where we gained the term "Boycott".
The bronze sculpture in the photographs above is the National Famine Sculpture by John Behan, which was unveiled in 1997 in County Mayo by Ireland's President, Mary Robinson. Skeletons become part of the ship's rigging.
Doolough Tragedy
In the early spring of 1849, some 600 starving and destitute people were told to appear in Louisburgh to ensure that they were truly in need of food. The two officials of the Westport Poor Law Union who were to conduct the inspections, did not show up in Louisburgh and instead went to the Delphi Lodge, a posh hunting lodge on a large estate. The starving people were told to show up at the Delphi Lodge some twelve miles away by 7:00 am if they wanted to receive assistance. They traveled through the day and night through Doolough pass in horrible weather. In their debilitated states, the gusts of wind tossed people around. When those who survived the journey arrived, they were made to wait as the two officials finished their lunch before they were refused food. They turned around and made the journey back, some dying as the gusts of wind and squalling rains tossed them into the lake. If there was soil to bury the dead, they were buried. Bodies were found by the side of the road, some with grass in their mouths in one last attempt to survive. The number of dead remains unknown, many of their skeletal bodies were swept into the lake. Legend has it that some 400 perished.