The Great Irish Famine, The People and Results
Posted by: Mike in Uncategorized, tags: Famine005 / 006 Irish History Sessions from the Hedge Row
At the Irish Roots Cafe with www.Irishroots.com
Two Sessions on the Famine Era in Ireland.
Sessions #005 and #006. Listen to these podcasts here:
http://www.irishroots.com/content/view/105/158/
We have six distinct series on Irish topics like Genealogy; Song; and Irish-America,
all available on our home page.
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Here are some random notes for today, the podcast
covers much more. I recommend listening.
Changing the Face of Ireland.
Several events have had great impact on Irish history.
We have covered elsewhere the Flight of the Earls and the
Plantation in Ulster, Cromwellian times, the Battle of the
Boyne and the Treaty of Limerick (1691). The Irish famine
of 1845- 1852 is another such event. We will talk about that
in these two sessions.
From whence it came
The Potato came from the Mexican Central Highlands, by 1843
in Philadelphia, and New York. Bad Seed Potatoes sent to
Belgium farmers in 1845, etc.. Phytopthora Infestans is the
name of the disease which is a oomycete or fungus
Potatoes had become the sole food for 1/3 of Ireland. Famines
happened before and after the great famine. i.e. 1820’s, 1879…..
This famine reached Ireland in 1845.
1845- SE counties affected first, Luckily 1/6 of crop was
harvested before it struck, so milder affects.
Peel ordered 100,000 pounds of Indian Meal to help.
No one died of simple starvation 1845-46.
(per Gill History of Ireland)
1846- Total Crop failure. Whig party assumes power. Hands off
attitude.
Work Programs supported, but not so much food.
Landlords evicting tenants making things worse.
1847- Crop not as bad, but plague, disease and death in the streets till
‘52.
Canada: 16,000 of 100,000 passengers died en route or on arrival.
1848- Crop failure worsens.
1849- Crop improves
1850- Potatoe disease is on the wane, but by now, more Irish in NYC than
Dublin.
1841-1851- Several million Irish people dead or abroad.
1851- 1/4 of Liverpool was Irish, 1/3 of Toronto was Irish
Perhaps 1 million dead, not from pure starvation,
but from typhus, fever, dropsy, and cholera
Worst Hit: Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Cork, Kerry, parts of Tipperary, Cavan, Laois.
Immigration: Over 100,000 per year 1847-54. By 1860 = 48,000.
Germans then became highest foreign born in numbers.
Some Destinations:
United States / Grosse Ile Canada / Earl Grey in Australia
United States:
The Largest Foreign born group in the U.S. from 1800-1850 (total)
First Ghettos Formed in all major U.S. cities (except Salt Lake City)
Old Irish Settlers did not always identify with the new diseased immigrants.
We now romanticize, perhaps forgetting terrible conditions.
Many came to US after initial arrival in Canada.
80% settled in cities (Mass., NY, PA, IL.)
1/4 of population in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
Volumes of ads for workers and missing friends in the papers.
(Boston Pilot, Freemans Journal.)
Political control of police and fire departments, Street building
crews, labor.
Railroad: ‘An Irishman buried under every tie” ‘Shanty Irish”
(Shanty Pole)
We also note ‘souperism’, Grosse Ile on the St. Lawrence Seaway;
The aftermath of the famine, memorials, evictions, and the
Earl Grey Scheme which mostly female orphans from Ireland
were shipped to Australia to escape the misery.
Later sessions will deal more extensively with the immigration
of the Irish to the far corners of the earth…
Thanks,
Mike O’Laughlin
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…….So end the notes from the Hedge Row today.
You can see the entire series at
www.Irishroots.com. We have broadcast series
on Genealogy; Song; and Local History as well.
Soon to be available on CD.
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________________________________________________
About Your Hedge School Teachers
Both Michael and Peter are graduates of Rockhurst University,
and have given lectures, exhibits, tours, and educational seminars
relating to Ireland since 1984.
Peter Reilly Adams
Peter traces his roots to the County Fermanagh and County
Cavan. Growing up in the City of New York and influenced by
the Irish neigborhoods, he was educated in Catholic Schools
all his life and was a member of the Augustinian Recollect
Order. Now in Kansas City, Kansas, he has a Bachelor
Degree in Philosophy, Theology and History and Masters
in Liberal Arts and Public Administration
He has taught at every level of education over the past 40
years and served as Assistant to the Mayor in Kansas City.
He was the host of the Irish Radio show, Celtic Crossings
and has led tours to Ireland for 23 years. He is a noted
musician and a talented vocalist.
Michael C. O’Laughlin
Mike descends from the O’Loughlins of Kilfenora, County Clare,
and the O’Donahues of Glenflesk, County Kerry. He also bears
Sullivan, Buckley, Kilmartin, Llewellyn and Kelliher roots; leads
tours to Ireland; and maintains a 3,000 volume Irish library, and
has authored more Irish books, newsletters and podcasts
than anyone in history*.
His public appearances include: National Public Radio
& television; Irish Family history seminars; Grand Marshall and
judge in St. Patricks Day parades; and as a founding member of
Irish cultural, bagpipe, and dance groups. He began the first
Irish Family history broadcast series on the web in 2006.
*60 books, 6 broadcast series with 200 episodes,
300 newsletters, blogs, videos, DVD and CDs.
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