Buy the great irish potato famine book online at low. This is an account of the great irish potato famine of the late 1840s, a famine which resulted in the death of about one million people and was also largely responsible, in conjunction with british government policies, for one of the great international human migrations of british historythe mass exodus of some two million people from ireland, mostly to north america, in the years 18451855. The great writers who came over before, after, and during famine times. The defining novel of the great irish famine the irish famine series, book 1 of 3 by charles egan 4. I had heard of the irish potato famine and knew a little irish history, however, this really brought the whole situation to life. A million dying because a foreign blight had turned a potato crop into rotten. The irish potato famine, which in ireland became known as the great hunger, was a turning point in irish history. Great famine, also called irish potato famine, great irish famine, or famine of 184549, famine that occurred in ireland in 184549 when the potato crop failed in successive years. Mar 22, 2001 the great irish potato famine of the late 1840s and early 1850s was a massive social catastrophe which resulted in the death of about one million people a scale of mortality which, taking into account the scale of irelands population in 1845, places this disaster among the worst in modern world history. The crisis that began in 1845 was not irelands first potato famine. They had been stored for well over a hundred years and told an incredible story of suffering, of love and of courage. I am trying to trace ancestors from east mayo and they would have lived through this terrible time of famine and disease. The history of the irish potato famine during the mid19th century. Outside ireland, it is usually called the irish potato famine.
Only 16 years before, president andrew jackson forced them and the other socalled five civilized tribes chickasaw, cherokee, creek, seminole, and choctaw on the trail of tears. In 1846, a young couple met during the worst days of the great irish famine. The 20 books every irish american should read by brigid cahalan may 27, 2010. John readers top 10 potato books books the guardian. Grace is a plucky, headstrong survivor, and she survives a great deal in the course of this book, including exposure, malnutrition, muggings and. The story is told from the perspective of a young irish woman whose family are subsistence farmers. Color photos and informative sidebars accompany easytoread, compelling text. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. The irish potato famine of the 1840s, perhaps the most appalling event of the victorian era, killed over a million people and drove as many more to emigrate to. Mar 16, 2016 during the famine, approximately a million people died and a million more emigrated from ireland, causing the islands population to fall by around 20%. The great hunger was the first account of the irish famine written by a british historian. A girls haunting struggle for survival during the irish potato famine.
The top twenty books every irish american should read. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. For fiction and nonfiction about and featuring the irish potato famine. After 168 years, potato famine mystery solved history. The irish potato famine audiobook by charles river editors. With the most severely affected areas in the west and south of ireland, where the irish language was dominant, the period was contemporaneously known in irish as an drochshaol, loosely translated as the hard times or. The irish potato famine was written by philip gavin ba northeastern university, ms boston university founder and publisher of the history place, and was first posted on the history place web site on june 12, 2000. My ancestry is irish,my father was from co mayo, achilles island. James donnellys account looks closely at the political and social consequences of the great irish potato famine and explores the way that natural disasters and government responses to them can alter the destiny of nations. The history of the irish potato famine during the mid19th century by. The proximate cause of the famine was a natural event, a potato blight, which infected potato crops throughout europe during the 1840s, also causing some 100,000 deaths outside ireland and influencing much of the unrest in the widespread european revolutions of 1848. Jun 30, 2017 the top twenty books every irish american should read. Buy the great irish potato famine reprint by james donnelly isbn.
In proportional terms one of the most lethal famines in global history, the consequences were shocking. The real story of queen victoria and the irish famine. Stories about evictions, emigration, disease and death reveal, in microcosm, the appalling consequences of the great irish potato famine. So when potato blight struck, causing the tubers to rot in the ground, they suffered a grievous loss. This engaging book introduces the great thinkers in western philosophy and explores their most compelling ideas about the world and how best to live in it.
I read it while living in connemara for 18 months in the mid60s. The great irish potato famine by james donnelly sutton publishing, 2002 places to visit. Even though i was educated in england we did not have it as a study in our school system, i guess it was something not to be talked about. The 19th centurys refugee crisis more than 150 years ago, it was the irish who were refugees forced into exile by a humanitarian and political disaster. I knew the potato famine was horrendous, but did not realize the total extent of it. The great irish potato famine of the late 1840s and early 1850s was a massive social catastrophe which resulted in the death of about one million people a scale of mortality which, taking into account the scale of ireland s population in 1845, places this disaster among the worst in modern world history. I think the father or brother leaves to try to find work in a city somewhere, leaving the mother and children, who eventually resort to eating. I had read the famine novels of liam oflaherty and walter macken, and. Aug 20, 2018 a book from tim pat coogan could prove that the irish great hunger was, in fact, genocide committed by the british. A magisterial account of one of the worst disasters to strike humankindthe great irish potato famine conveyed as lyrical narrative history from the acclaimed author of the great mortality deeply researched, compelling in its details, and startling in its conclusions about the appalling decisions behind a tragedy of epic proportions, john. Feb 16, 2019 the potato blight hit the united states first before it came to ireland and other countries. Jan 23, 2019 the range and depth of the literature on the great irish famine has expanded enormously in recent years. A million died and another million emigrated quite a grim time in irish.
Then, in 1845 the potato blight struck and destroyed almost onethird of the potato crop in ireland. The 20 books every irish american should read by brigid. This is an account of the great irish potato famine of the late 1840s, a famine which resulted in the death of about one million people and was also largely responsible, in conjunction with british government policies, for one of the great international human migrations of british historythe mass exodus of some two million people from ireland, mostly to north america, in. In short, i thought there was good reason to reduce englands blame. Donnelly jr this is an account of the great irish potato famine of the late 1840s, a famine which resulted in the death of about one million people and was also largely.
A million died and another million emigrated quite a grim time in. The event is sometimes referred to as the irish potato famine, mostly outside ireland. Jan 01, 2009 this title examines an important historic event, the irish potato famine. What made the choctaw donation so extraordinary was the tribes recent history. Pdf the great irish potato famine download full pdf. Some even believed that the whig governments policies were tantamount to genocide against the irish population. In the century before the great famine of the late 1840s, the irish people, and the poor especially, became increasingly dependent on the potato for their food. I had read a number of nonfiction books about the famine, but that was the first. This book would be an excellent choice to accompany and update the great hunger. It changed irish society forever, most strikingly by. Although this book isnt as well written as some of my other favorite irish writers frank oconner, brendan behan, sean ofaolain, it is the only novel i have read about a familys experience of the potato famine. The great irish potato famine of the late 1840s and early 1850s was a massive social catastrophe which resulted in the death of about one million people a scale of mortality which, taking into account the scale of irelands population in 1845, places this disaster among the worst in modern world history. The bad life followed a catastrophic period of irish history between 1845 and 1852 during which time the population of ireland was reduced by 50 percent. Sign up to the irish times books newsletter for features, podcasts.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato. A good accounting of the 10 years potato famine in ireland between 184555 and the revelation that it was deliberately used to exterminate the irish people. Proving the irish famine was genocide by the british. Buy a cheap copy of the great irish potato famine book by james s. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the great irish potato famine.
In children and the great hunger, edited by christine kinealy, jason king and gerard moran, 12 scholars and two novelists explore this issue in connection to the great irish famine of 184551. The irish potato famine, also known as the great hunger, began in 1845 when a funguslike organism called phytophthora infestans or p. The irish potato famine foundation for economic education. The great irish potato famine 9780750926324 by james s.
Readers will learn the history of ireland leading up to the famine, key players and happenings during the famine, and the events effect on society. The great irish famine was a turning point in history. The defining novel of the great irish famine the irish famine series paperback october 19, 2012. A million died and another million emigrated quite a grim time in irish history. The great irish potato famine of the late 1840s and early 1850s was a massive social catastrophe which resulted in the death of about one million people a scale of mortality which, taking into account the scale of ireland s population in 1845, places this. Published in 1962, the great hunger was the first account of the irish famine written by a british historian. During the time periods we have written records for, there have been around 50 major famines. James mahoney saw the devastation caused by the famine while traveling through ireland. Mar, 2017 author of several books on the irish potato famine, including a graphic novel for young adults on the subject entitled the bad times, kinealy is also the director of the great hunger museum in. Do you have any recommendations for a good book on the potato famine. Jim braiden and jim farmer have both mentioned the great hunger by cecil woodham smith already.
Famine novel changed my mind on englands guilt britains most decorated reporter set out to write a famine novel to restore englands reputation but the facts confounded him. Why the real story of ireland s great hunger is not taught in us schools. The irish potato famine audiobook by charles river. The 20 books every irish american should read the new. Ireland before the famine, the penal laws and oppression of irish catholics, the. On this day in 1847, bostons leading citizens held a meeting at fanueil hall in response to news of the famine devastating ireland. A book from tim pat coogan could prove that the irish great hunger was, in fact, genocide committed by the british. The great irish potato famine kindle edition by donnelly, james s. Read download the great irish potato famine pdf pdf download. Pay a visit to the irish labour history museum articles, journals and resources relating to past. Ireland suffered more than one famine in its history, but the years between 1845 and 1852 mark the era many call the irish potato famine.
Hulton archive a s the potato harvest began in ireland in 1845, prospects were looking good for a. Probably, the one major famine that most people are familiar with, at least from grade school history, is the great irish famine, otherwise known as the potato famine. Buy the great irish potato famine book online at best prices in india on. Author of several books on the irish potato famine, including a graphic novel for young adults on the subject entitled the bad times, kinealy is also the director of the great. The stories of those who lived through and died in the irish potato famine of the 1840s. The irish potato famine 18451852 stories history of ireland. Sep 04, 2018 in 1845, in ireland, the potato crops were failing and potato plants were turning black and rotten. But what made it particularly devastating in ireland was the factor of human influencebehindthe. The history and legacy of the mass starvation in ireland during the 19th century. A novel of irish exile and the great irish famine the irish famine series book 3 of 3 by charles egan. This is an account of the great irish potato famine of the late 1840s, a famine. Dana s via twitter ireland suffered more than one famine in its history, but the years between 1845 and 1852 mark the era many call the irish potato famine.
May 27, 2010 the everyday struggles of assimilated irish americans in queens, new york. The irish peasants from these affected groups lived almost exclusively on a diet of potatoes since land was scarce and potatoes were easily grown. The great famine 18451849 was a watershed in the history of ireland. Looking for a fictional novel about the great famine. With the failure of the potato crop several years in a row, tens of thousands of irish peasants were suffering from malnutrition, disease, and exposure. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant. Tenantfarmers lived in constant danger of famine, not only because they depended upon a single article of food, but also because the potato in its very nature is peculiarly liable to fail in certain seasons obrien, p. Irelands catastrophic population decline 184151 due to the. In 1990, a box of very old documents was found on a small farm in the west of ireland.
Personal accounts of the great irish potato famine. The 20 books every irish american should read the new york. The famine was caused by the potato blight, a funguslike organism which quickly destroyed the potatoes in ireland, and throughout europe. This lecture series explores the irish potato famine in depth. Sep 22, 2011 starving people clamour at the gates of a workhouse during the irish potato famine. Thus began a catastrophe in which approximately one million people lost their lives and many more left ireland for north america. The great irish famine of 184552 was the defining event in the history of modern ireland. The immediate cause of the famine was an infestation of phytophthora infestans, a potato disease commonly known as potato blight. The typical irish peasant ate about 10 pounds of potatoes each day and soon towered in physical size over their rural english equivalents who mainly ate bread.
949 1470 214 1358 464 1376 433 1331 487 656 769 970 780 276 425 240 1326 1110 988 577 434 1256 1171 1091 37 956 613 952 709 495 1502 809 118 1001 134 1055 950 961 525 290 1175 776 835 255 1276