Despite the fact that on March 17 1847 thousands had die and hundreds of thousands more faced death the Saint Patrick's Day festivities were not canceled. While many starved the others partied.

St. Patrick's day, March 17, 1847 was among the worst in Irish history. Thousands had perished during the previous winter from hunger and disease. Hundreds of thousands more faced death. 

However celebrations were not cancelled, but on a day supposed to celebrate all things Irish, events in Dublin revealed there were two very different Ireland's in that year.

Read more: Shocking interactive map shows how the Great Hunger changed Ireland

While one half of the city starved the other half planned a party...

 * Fin Dwyer is a historian, author, and creator of the Irish history podcast. Over the last seven years, he has been creating free podcasts which makes Irish history accessible to new audiences. He has covered diverse topics from the Middle Ages to the modern history. He is currently focusing on the story of the Great Hunger. With over three million individuals downloads, the show is one of Ireland's most popular podcasts. You can find his podcast on iTunes or Spotify .

Read more: “Black 47” director calls famine “the single most important event in Irish history”

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