Jack Magennis

1. Introduction2. Timeline 3. The Blight arrives! 4. Famine Fever5. Soup kitchens & Public works6. Eviction 7. Emigration 8. Quiz9. Answers10. Thanks

Introduction…Introduction…

During the years of 1845 – 1851 the During the years of 1845 – 1851 the Irish people suffered in agony of Irish people suffered in agony of starvation and weakness. This series starvation and weakness. This series of events happened in the potato of events happened in the potato famine. Over 1,000,000 people died famine. Over 1,000,000 people died in the famine and over 1,500,000 in the famine and over 1,500,000 emigrated to Canada, America, emigrated to Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand.Australia and New Zealand.

Timeline…Timeline…Autumn 1845:Autumn 1845: Farmers found their crops of potatoes rotting Farmers found their crops of potatoes rotting underground with a disease called potato blight. Indian corn is underground with a disease called potato blight. Indian corn is imported from north America and Public works are set-up by the imported from north America and Public works are set-up by the government.government.Autumn 1846:Autumn 1846: Blight appears again and destroys most of the Blight appears again and destroys most of the Potato crop. More public works are set-up, mainly building Potato crop. More public works are set-up, mainly building roads. Food prices shot up high.roads. Food prices shot up high.Spring 1847:Spring 1847: Government stop the public works, but instead Government stop the public works, but instead they set-up soup kitchens. In the work houses people are struck they set-up soup kitchens. In the work houses people are struck with hunger and don’t have the strength to work a good days with hunger and don’t have the strength to work a good days pay.pay.Autumn 1847:Autumn 1847: The potato crops have come back healthy but The potato crops have come back healthy but in very small quantities.in very small quantities.Asutumn 1848Asutumn 1848:: Crop destroyed by blight again. In even bigger Crop destroyed by blight again. In even bigger amounts Irish people are emigrating to foreign countries.amounts Irish people are emigrating to foreign countries.1849:1849: There are very bad conditions swept right across the There are very bad conditions swept right across the whole of Ireland. People in great numbers are being evicted whole of Ireland. People in great numbers are being evicted from their homes.from their homes.1850:1850: Most people in Ireland are recovering from the famine Most people in Ireland are recovering from the famine but others are still just as bad as they were before. but others are still just as bad as they were before.

Blight arrives Blight arrives

In the autumn of 1845, disaster struck In the autumn of 1845, disaster struck Ireland. Blight is a fungus that grows on Ireland. Blight is a fungus that grows on potatoes, it makes the potato leaves potatoes, it makes the potato leaves wither and makes the potato rot wither and makes the potato rot underground and then it becomes underground and then it becomes inedible. When blight struck Ireland’s inedible. When blight struck Ireland’s potato crops, each and every potato potato crops, each and every potato crop perished. Irish farmers and Irish crop perished. Irish farmers and Irish people were devastated. people were devastated.

Famine fever!Famine fever!Many of the people were Many of the people were weakened by the lack of weakened by the lack of food they were eating so food they were eating so they came vulnerable to they came vulnerable to

sickness and diseases. The sickness and diseases. The most common disease was most common disease was a fever that killed almost 1 a fever that killed almost 1

million, it was called million, it was called famine fever. Once famine fever. Once

someone caught the fever someone caught the fever they could spread it to they could spread it to

another person within a another person within a hour. It’s amazing that hour. It’s amazing that most of the people who most of the people who

died during The Irish died during The Irish Famine didn’t die of hunger Famine didn’t die of hunger

but died of the famine but died of the famine fever.fever.

The famine fever effected Ireland so bad that some counties like

Leitrim are still recovering in

population numbers even today!

Soup kitchens & Public WorksSoup kitchens & Public Works

Public works were set up by the Public works were set up by the government so that poor men could government so that poor men could build roads and other work like that to build roads and other work like that to get money for their starving families.get money for their starving families.During the spring of 1847 the During the spring of 1847 the government took away the public government took away the public works and replaced them with soup works and replaced them with soup kitchens. Soup kitchens where a big kitchens. Soup kitchens where a big helping hand to the (near enough) helping hand to the (near enough) dying Irish people. But the horrible dying Irish people. But the horrible thing was that half of the people that thing was that half of the people that came to the kitchens where that hungry came to the kitchens where that hungry and exhausted that they didn’t have the and exhausted that they didn’t have the strength to digest the food so they died strength to digest the food so they died any way.any way.

Eviction Eviction

Many, many, many, many people were Many, many, many, many people were evicted from their homes. They had evicted from their homes. They had sold most of their belongings to pay the sold most of their belongings to pay the rent to the landlord. Most of the Irish rent to the landlord. Most of the Irish peasants who were evicted from their peasants who were evicted from their homes went to live in ditches or went homes went to live in ditches or went to live in fields or to live in fields or hedges!!!!hedges!!!!

Emigration Emigration

Many, many, many, many Irish people Many, many, many, many Irish people (1500000) emigrated to places like America, (1500000) emigrated to places like America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand etc. Only Canada, Australia and New Zealand etc. Only some peasants emigrated- that is if their some peasants emigrated- that is if their landlord bought them tickets. The ships were landlord bought them tickets. The ships were called coffin-ships because that many people called coffin-ships because that many people died of famine fever aboard the ships. Some died of famine fever aboard the ships. Some countries stopped taking in the diseased Irish countries stopped taking in the diseased Irish people because the famine fever was spreading people because the famine fever was spreading to the country’s own residents.to the country’s own residents.

Questions?Questions?

Q. How many pictures (not the moving ones!!!) Q. How many pictures (not the moving ones!!!) did you see?did you see?

Q. How many years did the famine last for?Q. How many years did the famine last for?Q. What county is still recovering in population Q. What county is still recovering in population

numbers even today?numbers even today?Q. How many people died and emigrated Q. How many people died and emigrated

altogether?altogether?Q. In what year did the government introduce Q. In what year did the government introduce

soup kitchens?soup kitchens?

Answers?Answers?

A. 4 picturesA. 4 pictures

A. 6 yearsA. 6 years

A. LeitrimA. Leitrim

A. 2.5 millionA. 2.5 million

A. 1847A. 1847

Credits & ThanksCredits & Thanks

Jack MagennisJack Magennis

Links:Links:www.wikapeadia/irishfamine.comwww.wikapeadia/irishfamine.com

www.irishpotatofamine.orgwww.irishpotatofamine.orgwww.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools.co.uk

Books:Books: The great famine.The great famine.The Irish famineThe Irish famine