Famine in Ireland - Deaths and Migrations
While Britain was flourishing with the industrial revolution since the 18th century, the economic conditions in Ireland were not so good.
This might have been due to the fact that Ireland was strongly catholic while the rest of the UK was protestant and so people in Ireland felt they were neglected by the government in London.
Two-thirds of the population still depended on farming. The main crop was potato and that was the main food for the people there.In the middle of the 19th century, the potato crop failed. A devastating fungus that destroyed it fully.
Ireland's prized potato crops died out by 1850. The Irish Famine caused the first mass migration of Irish people to the United States. The effects of the Irish Potato Famine continued to spur on Irish immigration well into the 20th century.
Irish Famine Mother
Memorial to the victims of the Irish Potato Famine "The Great Famine" in the grounds of
St Lukes Church, Liverpool, England.
Starvation and disease claimed around a million lives during 1845-1850, which lead to almost twice that number emigrating to other countries, including a majority into the United States. The lack of industry and overall poverty that remained constant in the region brought many impoverished Catholic farmers and laborers into the U.S.
The Great Famine Statue
Many people arrived in Britain as well and they worked in railways. By 1861 there were large populations of Irish people in cities such as London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow.
In the USA, Irish people work hard and at least 22 presidents of the United States have some Irish ancestral origins. The last Democratic President Barack Obama and the 2020 President of the Joe Biden too have Irish links.
What do these tell us, the immigrants? When the bridges behind us are burned out, there is NO way back. The ONLY way is forward.
Irish links
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