In 1841 there were 8.175.124 inhabitans in Ireland according to the first truly census. 40 years earlier, the population had been, more or less, 40 million. This decrease of population was due to the illness of the potato, the most spread food and the source for one-third of Irish people. The famine was the reason for the emigration of a lot of Irish to other parts of the world.

In autumn of 1845 the one-third of the potato crop had failed. It was caused by a new and unknown fungus.

In the summer of 1846, Peel's government was replaced by the Whigs under Lord John Russell.

In 1846 the crop failed again. This time a lot of people, about 500.000 by the end of the year, and soon over 1.000.000, complained against the government. The government said that it was not their problem but soon, many of the landlords had no choice and many of them lost their power. While this grotesque situation was taking place all around Ireland, the English government (one the richest countries in the world at that time) refused their help to solve the problem.

Then the famine fever appeared : typhus, dysentery, scurvy. In 1847 the fields production was very low, and, in 1848, the fungus returned again.

After years of no farming the fungus finally dissappeared and the fields were productive again.

About one million people died. The question for the future was whether Ireland could be governed by British methods as they had failed to stop that critical situation.

1)      Why did Ireland fall in "the Famine"?

2)      How was this trouble solved?

3)      What was one of the consequences of the Famine?

4)      How did the Famine influence in Irish demography?

5)      In which way did Irish gastronomy change?

6)      Who governed Ireland at that time?

7)      What measures were taken?