FAMINE SEMINAR 13TH OCTOBER 2011 – NATIONAL

LIBRARY OF IRELAND

Lessons from a history of famines

Dr. Eamon Phoenix

GREAT IRISH FAMINE: AVERAGE ANNUAL EXCESS DEATH RATES 1846-51 BY COUNTY

(per 1,000)COUNTY Upper Lower COUNTY Upper Lower bound bound bound

bound Antrim 20.315.0 Leitrim 50.242.9Armagh 22.215.3 Limerick 20.910.0Carlow 8.8 2.7 Longford 26.720.2Cavan 51.842.7 Louth 14.6 8.2Clare 46.531.5 Mayo 72.058.4Cork 41.832.0 Meath 21.215.8Derry 10.1 5.7 Monaghan 36.028.6Donegal 18.710.7 Offaly 24.918.0Down 12.5 6.7 Roscommon 57.449.5Dublin 0.7 -2.1 Sligo 61.152.1Fermanagh 39.129.2 Tipperary 35.023.8Galway 58.046.1 Tyrone 22.315.2Kerry 36.122.4 Waterford 30.820.8Kildare 12.0 7.4 Westmeath 26.320.0Kilkenny 18.112.5 Wexford 6.6 1.7Laois 29.121.6 Wicklow 14.6 10.8

(Source: J. Mokyr, Why Ireland Starved)

Number and sizes of holdings in 1847 and 1851

YEAR 1 Acre 1-5 5-15 15-30 Above Total

or less Acres Acres Acres 30 Acres Holdings

____________________________________________________________________________

1847 73,000 139,000 269,000 164,000

157,000 803,000

1851 37,700 88,000 191,800 141,000 149,000 608,000

(Source: L Kennedy et al Mapping the Great Irish Famine)

Population Decline 1841-1871

  1841 8,175,000 1851 6,552,000 1861 5,799,000 1871 4,412,000

( Source: H. Litton, The Irish Famine: an Illustrated history)

Emigration Rates 1847-53

1847 220,0001848 181,0001849 219,0001850 214,0001851 255,0001852 369,0001853 193,000

(Source: C Kinealy, The Great Calamity)

Plaque commemorating victims of the Great Famine at ‘The Plaguey Hill’ in

Friar’s Bush Graveyard, Stranmillis Rd, Belfast