New facts about Great Famine emigration out of Ireland revealed

I think the "Survivor guilt" at home was eventually converted into blaming the emigrant, and must account somewhat for the widespread assertion that the emigrant somehow "took the easy way out". So while the descendants of the oppressor have now been embraced, the descendants of the emigrant are still largely reviled.

Why is it called a famine when , by definition, it was a blight?

I am a native texan, My family came from Ireland and scottland in the late 1800's early 1900's. I have never been told or heard the hole story about the famine. I've learned something new from this article and all the comments. Thank you all!

dickmac knows history well. The potato famine actually affected most of Europe but other foods were substituted for the potato and there were no famines in other European countries. Ship ledgers during the Famine times showed large quantities of food exported from Ireland ( It is never a good policy to export food out of a country during a famine ). However, the British government's policy is not comparable to the Nazi's. The famine in the Ukraine in the 1930's is similar. During that time the harvest was less than normal but the Soviet Communist government ( Stalin ) exported most of the harvest to buy weapons for the military and to build of industry. Stalin also wished to destroy the Ukrainian peasant farms and millions died in this famine. The food exports from Ireland during the famine helped provide the funds for Britain's wars and colonizations .

CitizenWhy, I don't believe it is immoral for the government to intervene on behalf of the hungry but it is immoral for the government to intentionally keep people in poverty in order to maintain power. England used military might and oppressive laws to do it in Ireland. America uses political patronage and a flawed social welfare system. Different methodologies - just as immoral.

I've got to ask, I've seen estimates about those who died and emigrated at 2 million more than was quoted here, and I don't think I've ever seen 8 million pounds ever quoted in spending for charity. I could be wrong, but I had always heard the British were condemned by many governments for the famine and their handling of it, and in fact exported tons of food instead of helping the starving Irish.

Hey 'ProudCanadian'... For the record, I'm a proud Dubliner AND I DON'T "HATE" THE ENGLISH; no more than I hate "Americans" for the inhuman/unlawful acts of some within the government (which I have been victimized by for the last 21 years). However, they are actions for which I have just this month submitted a request for a Federal Grand Jury investigation on (in L.A. Ca.). People themselves are not bad... But a few bad ones at the top of government can make it seem that way!! My intent is to give these locals a full measure of... "Who began it"!!

@dickmac,your 100% correct,there was a potato famine that came from america into ireland but like you said ireland had plenty of other foods such as cheese meats fish corn an the likes,the english in actual fact ate more potato in their daily diet,i dont blame the english people,its was the elites behind them,the prodestants escaped the holocaust aswell,the irish were given a chance to convert to the anglian faith an swear alligiance to the queen,and those patriots died in the thousands rather than do it,our anvestors,its a disgrace the those in power distort the history to suit their wicked agendas,the secret hand/bloodline/illuminati have always used the people as pawns in their game of power,the whole system is evil to the core,education destroys education,religon destroys spirituality,the media destroy the truth,politicans destroy democracy,they are evil bastards an the people need to wake up before it is to late for mankind,WW3 IS ON THE WAY

I have been a "history nut" for many years. It still amazes me how many Irish and those of direct Irish decent how little the know about An Gorta Mor the Great Hunger. It waas called a FAMINE. Famine means a great scarcity of food. There was NO scarcity of food there was enough food in Ireland to feed 4 times the population. Which then was over 8 million. Unfortunately the potatoe was the main food for the Irish table Why did the population not get the food available! The English Government exported the food out of the country often at gunpoint as the people literally were dying in the streets and fields some even with grass stains on the face from eating the grass for food. The same blight that hit the potatoe crop in Ireland also did so in Europe but they also had other food available and they could eat. No doubt it was the greatest tragedy of the 19th Century where Ireland's population was reduced in half and never recovered. The Irish Government just reconized this officially 3 short years ago.

Just another English attrocity that was leveled on the Irish and people still wonder why the Irsh hate the English. All the good potatoes where sent to England. If the truth was only known the English probably had something to do with the blight on the potatoes.

George Dillon, actually, Queen Victoria contributed 2,000 quid out of her personal resources. By contrast, when she visited Ireland in 1849, Dublin Castle spent 5,000 pounds on ONE banquet. Incidentally, that propaganda visit was likened to "illuminating a graveyard."

Actually, the Germans (English) misruling Erie during the Irish holocaust presented a striking parallel to one of the practices of their German cousins in Imperial Germany during WWII in Continental Europe. Both sets of Germans practiced death my willfull indifference, the Nazis using that practice as well as homicide by bullets and gas. My great-grandfather Michael Burns was orphaned at age 3 this way and was vocally bitter about it his entire life.

ripley838 --I never heard that quote, and assume it is apocryphal. The fact is that Queen Victoria gave quite a lot for famine relief, 5000 pounds, if I remember correctly.

Its a disgrace that the irish holocaust is still not regonised for what it is,the irish people starved to death by the royal family of england,(devils to mankind all over the world),still editors on pages that speak about it never can speak the actual truth on the matter,a holocaust swept under the carpet with no editor or any irish politican or president dare to speak the truth,for fear of the devil family an bloodlines,its a disgrace

Wasn't it England's Queen Victoria who said "Ah, if only Oliver Cromwell was alive to see this" ?