The Irish Potato Famine and The Holocaust in Literature Writers often use literature as a means of communicating traumatic events that occur in history, and such events are recorded by first-hand accounts as well as remembered by people far removed from the situation. Two traumatic events in history that are readily found in literature are The Irish Potato Famine and The Holocaust. A literary medium that has been used quite poignantly to convey trauma is poetry and the poetry from these two
The Irish Potato Famine was a period of starvation, disease and emigration, and was known as one of the biggest tragedies from 1845 to 1847. Many people depended on potato crops to survive; however [comma] the potato crops acquired blight, a disease that caused the potatoes to rot while still in the ground. No good crops could be grown for two years [comma] causing Irish tenant farmers unable to pay rent and was forced off their land causing over 21,000 people to die of starvation. The Irish Potato
In the early 1800s life in Ireland wasn't easy, Irish citizens got by day to day by farming and relying on the potato. The potato was their main source of food and money. With out the potato the Irish would have nothing. No one was prepared for what was about to happen in 1845, the beginning of the Great Irish Potato Famine. The Irish Potato Famine was the worst tragedy in the history of Ireland. The outcome of the famine would result in hundreds of thousands dead, an failure of the economy
Learning about the Irish potato famine of the 1800’s that drove millions to America may seem like a boring topic for most people to learn. Sure, it impacted the job market, but what does it matter to most? Well, if it wasn’t for the potato famine, I would’ve been born in Ireland. My personal identity would not be complete without my background as an Irish. My great great great grandfather came over from Ireland during the potato famine of the 1800’s. Later on, he married another Irish immigrant-a woman
The Irish Potato Famine and Primary Sources More than a million Irish people died during The Irish Potato famine that hit Ireland between 1845 to 1849 (Pollard, pg. 551). Potatoes were the primary diet of the Irish, especially the Irish Lump potato. When the fungal disease hit, known as “potato blight,” the Irish potato crops were lost. After reading primary sources regarding the Irish Potato Famine, the reader can visualize the horrors that the Irish people endured during the famine including
The Irish Famine 1845-1849 “Is ar scáth a chiéle a maireann na daoine” “It is with each other’s protection that the people live” From the Fifteenth through to the Nineteenth centuries English Monarchies and Governments had consistently enacted laws which it seems were designed to oppress the Irish and suppress and destroy Irish Trade and manufacturing. In the Penal laws of 1695 which aimed to destroy Catholicism, Catholics were forbidden from practicing their
The Irish Potato Famine and Emigration During the Victorian era, England experienced tremendous growth in wealth and industry while Ireland struggled to survive. The reasons for Ireland's inability to take advantage of the Industrial Revolution are complex, and have been the subject of debate for more than a century. Many English viewed the Irish as stubborn farmers who refused to embrace the new technology. The Irish, however, believed the English had sabotaged their efforts to industrialize
the early 1800s life in Ireland wasn’t easy, Irish citizens got by day to day by farming and relying on the potato. The potato was their main source of food and money. With out the potato the Irish would have nothing. No one was prepared for what was about to happen in 1845, the beginning of the Great Irish Potato Famine. The Irish Potato Famine was the worst tragedy in the history of Ireland. The outcome of the famine would result in hundreds of thousands dead, an
Events and Impact of Irish Potato Famine. The Irish farming population have been left counting the cost of the potato famine which has crippled their harvest and left many starving to death. The British government must shoulder the blame after an ineffective, slow and lacklustre effort to support the farmers and improve conditions. The famine itself started in September 1845 when leaves on potato plants turned black and curled, then rotted, seemingly as a result of
However, Irish immigration to New York City took place throughout the late 1700s and the entire 1800s, which allowed a rift to form between protestant and catholic Irish communities in New York. Irish immigrants of the protestant faith had started to arrive before the catholics and established themselves as a community before the catholics had had a chance. Scottish-Irish was the self proclaimed name taken by many protestant Irish who had wanted to distance themselves