"The famine has been described as a watershed in Irish political and social history. The society which emerged from behind its dark shadow was, in certain key respects, structurally different from what it had previously been."
Book 56: 'Ireland before the famine: 1798-1848' by Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh.
For many, like myself, Irish history is generally accounted for from 1916 onwards. However, the foundational work of that movement was set in stone in the years from 1798-1848 by the likes of Robert Emmett, Wolf Tonne and Daniel O'Connell.
In the early 1800s, Ireland population was close to 8Million people; to give some context today, it's closer to 5Million.
Some numbers and stats I have been reflecting on this week:
📦 In 1788, linen accounted for 70% of all exports.
⛴ 85% of all exports went to the UK.
🗣 Half the population spoke Irish 50 years later, only 25% did.
🛖 1841 some 40% of houses were 1-bed mud cabins, natural earth as the floor. Many had no windows or chimneys.
🥔 In the 1840's one-third of Irish people, sole food was the potato.
🚢 Between 1845-51, the population declined by 20% or 2.25million; 1.5million of these emigrated to the likes of the US, UK and Canada.
🥣 In August 1847, close to 3 million people were receiving rations at the soup kitchen daily.
In the years of the famine, Ireland saw entire communities decimated, and with it, many old customs and past times were lost. The pattern of steady emigration continued long after the famine, which continued to drain Ireland of many of its most enterprising members. Ireland, like all countries, is steeped in history; over the coming month, I'm going to try to reconnect with it.
What book are you reading this week?
Book 56: 'Ireland before the famine: 1798-1848' by Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh.
For many, like myself, Irish history is generally accounted for from 1916 onwards. However, the foundational work of that movement was set in stone in the years from 1798-1848 by the likes of Robert Emmett, Wolf Tonne and Daniel O'Connell.
In the early 1800s, Ireland population was close to 8Million people; to give some context today, it's closer to 5Million.
Some numbers and stats I have been reflecting on this week:
📦 In 1788, linen accounted for 70% of all exports.
⛴ 85% of all exports went to the UK.
🗣 Half the population spoke Irish 50 years later, only 25% did.
🛖 1841 some 40% of houses were 1-bed mud cabins, natural earth as the floor. Many had no windows or chimneys.
🥔 In the 1840's one-third of Irish people, sole food was the potato.
🚢 Between 1845-51, the population declined by 20% or 2.25million; 1.5million of these emigrated to the likes of the US, UK and Canada.
🥣 In August 1847, close to 3 million people were receiving rations at the soup kitchen daily.
In the years of the famine, Ireland saw entire communities decimated, and with it, many old customs and past times were lost. The pattern of steady emigration continued long after the famine, which continued to drain Ireland of many of its most enterprising members. Ireland, like all countries, is steeped in history; over the coming month, I'm going to try to reconnect with it.
What book are you reading this week?
