great irish famine- final presentation _2

7/30/2019 Great Irish Famine- Final Presentation _2

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THEIMPACTOFTHEGREATFAMINEof184551withspecialreferencetoULSTER

ByamonPhoenix*

Introduction:

TheGreatFamine,AnGortaMr(184551)hasthegrimdistinctionofbeingthemostcostly

naturaldisasterofmoderntimes.Inasensetherewasnothingexceptionalaboutthe

Famine.Toquoteoneauthority,DudleyEdwardsinthe1950s,itwasbutaperiodof

greatermiseryinaprolongedageofsuffering.Therehadbeenpreviousfaminesandfood

shortagesbuttheeventsofthe1840swereonavastlydifferentscale.

Yetthetriggerfactorsbehindthehumancatastropheof184551areclear:

1Between1750and1845thetotalpopulationmushroomedfromabout2.6to8.5millions

(orby225%inacentury).Irelandwasnotaloneinexperiencingsuchgrowthattheturnof

the18thcentury.ButwhatmadeitexceptionalbycontemporaryEuropeanstandardswas

a/therapidrateofexpansion,and

b/therelativelackofanyaccompanyingindustrialisation.(IndeedmuchoftheIrish

countrysidewasbeingdeindustrialised withthecollapseofthecottageindustryunderthe

impactoftheindustrialrevolutioninBritainandLaganValley.


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2.Secondly,some80percentofthisteemingpopulationlivedontheland,makingIreland

oneofthemostdenselypopulatedcountriesinEuropewithsome400peoplepersqmilein

somecountiessuchasArmagh.

3.AsthehistorianJamesDonnelly,junior,observes:Itwasaboveallthepovertyofsucha

largesegmentoftheIrishpopulationthatmadetheGreatFaminesodestructiveofhuman

life.1 Bythe1840scloseontwofifthsofthepopulation some3.3millionpeople were

totallydependantonthepotatoforsubsistencewhilealmost5million upto4.7million

reliedontherootasthedominantitemintheirdiet.Suchasituationwasfraughtwith

danger:whilepreviouscropfailureshadcausedlocaldistress,itwasclearthatanymajor

potatofailurewouldtriggerasocialandeconomiccrisisofcataclysmicproportions.

DominatingtheranksofthepotatoeatersinpreFamineIrelandwere

a/thelandlessagriculturallabourers:

b/thecottierclass(thesmallestlandownersonplotsoflessthan5acres),especiallyinthe

westandsouthwest;

c/andthesmallercultivators(on515acres).

ApreFaminedietarysurveyshowslargemealsofpotatoesconsumedwithbutterandmilk

byalargesegmentofthepopulation.Thisexplainstheenormityofthecrisisof184551.

1

Jaqmes

S

Donnelly,

Jr,

The

Great

Irish

Potato

Famine

(The

History

Press,

2010),

p

1.


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CAUSES:

1.TheFamineoriginatedinanecologicaldisaster.Intheautumnof1845afungaldisease

(phythopthorainfestans)

reached

Ireland

from

continental

Europe

via

England.

From

the

southwestofthecountryitsoonspreadto17counties.Afurtherblowcameintheshape

ofthewet,humidsummerof1846 whichleftthecropatotalfailure.Thewinterof184647

wastheworstinlivingmemory.The1847harvestwasgoodbuttheautumnof1848

broughtyetanothertotalfailurewhichwascompoundedbyapoorgrainharvest.

Thusbetween1846and1849theIrishpotatocropfailedinthreeseasonsoutoffour.By

1849theworstwasover.Buttheharrowingnightmareofthose6years184551had

wroughtradicalandenduringchangesonthestructureofIrishsociety:

a/Populationchange:Thegreatestchangewasthedecimationofthepopulation.Thefull

extentofthehumanholocaustwasevidentinthe1851census.Thisshowedthatbetween

1841and 1851theIrishpopulationhadfallenfrom8.1millionto6.5million afallofsome

20%.However,asthepopulationfigurein1845wascloserto8.5million,thefallisover

23% almostaquarterinthewholeisland.

Asthehistorian,KevinWhelanhascommented:Itisdifficulttograspatanindividuallevel

the

implications

of

a

tragedy

which

wiped

out

I

million

people

in

half

a

decade,

as

if

the

modernpopulationofDublinwastobeobliterated[today]

*** TableofPopulationloss

Thefallwasduetodeathsfromhungeranddiseaseandemigration.Historiansareagreed

onafigureof ImillionFaminedeaths.Inblack47aloneitisestimatedthat250,000died


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ofstarvationorfever.Amajorcauseofmortalityintheseyearswasarangeofattendant

Faminediseasessuchastyphus,choleraanrelapsingfeverordropsy(duetomalnutrition

andovercrowdinginthecountrys130Workhouses).In1849therewasaseriouscholera

outbreakinBelfastandothertownsduetotheinfluxofbeggarsfromruralIreland.

Theimpactofthecatastrophewasgreatestinthewesternandsouth westerncountiesina

swathefromFermanaghtoCorkwheredependenceonthepotatowasgreatestandwhere

subdivisionofholdingswasmostacute.Inaddition,tradeandcommunicationswerepoorly

developedalong

the

western

littoral

from

Donegal

to

Kerry,

adding

to

the

catastrophe.

***[TableofExcessMortalitybycounty higherestimateincludeslostbirths)

Thusexcessmortalityrangedfromaround1016 perthousandineasterncountiessuch

as

Antrim,

Armagh

and

Meath

to

27

35

per

thousand

in

Cork,

Clare

and

Fermanagh.

ThehighestdeathrateswereintheConnachtcountiesofMayo,Sligo,Roscommonand

LeitrimwithCavanhavingthehighestmortalityinUlster(42.7%) Theeasterncountieswere

leastaffected. WhileUlstercountiessufferedlesstherewereblackspotsthroughoutthe

province(asweshallsee).

Whichsocialgroupswerehardesthit?Clearlythepoorestsectionofthepopulationthe

labourersandcottiers(lessthan5acres)werethechiefvictimsoftheFamine,followedby

thosecultivatingminuteholdingsofunder10acres.However,theranksofthebetter off

famers(withsome15acres)werealsobadlythinnedbytheholocaust.


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EmigrationmainlytotheUnitedStates wasalsoahallmarkoftheGreatFamine.While

emigrationhadbeenrisingbefore1845,thescaleofFamineemigrationwas

unprecedented aswasthescaleofitscasualties.In1847alone220,000emigratedwhilein

1852amassive369,000personsleftIreland.Manysailedinthenotoriouscoffinshipsand

onesixthofthoseonthepassagetoGrosseisle(Quebec)died:therewereastaggering

4,500deathsthereinatwomonthperiodof1847alone.

Thismassexodusandthecontinuanceofhighemigrationlevelscombinedwiththepost

faminepattern

of

infrequent

and

late

marriages

to

produce

apermanent

population

decline.

ThefullsignificanceoftheGreatFamineonIrishpeasantsocietycanbeseenintheTable

comparingthenumberofholdingsofvarioussizesbetween1841and1851.Theseconfirm

theannihilationofthecottierclassthroughdeathandemigrationandtheconsolidationof

holdingsdueto withtheremovalofthecultivators.

***(TableofChangesinlandholdings184151)

BritishGovernmentPolicy:

Thescaleofthedisasterof184551raisesaseriesofemotivequestionsaboutthecrisis:

Wasthecalamityavoidable?CouldtheBritishgovernmenthavedonemoretolessenits

humanimpact? Thesequestionshavegeneratedcontroversyamongcontemporariesand

laterhistorians.GovernmentapologistssuchasCharlesTrevelyan(AssistantSecretaryatthe


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BritishTreasury)tendedtotakeaprovidentialviewoftheFamineasthesolutionofanall

wiseProvidencetotheproblemofoverpopulationinIrelandwhiletheNewry

NonconfomistandYoungIrelander,JohnMitchelaccusedtheBritishgovernmentof

genocidalintent. Severalpointscanbemade:

1.Laissezfaire:DuringtheearlystagesofthecrisisGovernmentpolicywaslargely

conditionedbythe prevailinglaissezfairedoctrine.Peelsadministrationsetuppublic

worksandarrangedfortheimportationofIndiancorntokeepdownthepriceoffood.But

thegoverment

rejected

in

principle

that

it

should

accept

direct

responsibility

for

maintainingtheafflictedpeasantry.

In1846PeelsgovernmentwasreplacedbyaWhigMinistryunderLordJohnRussell.The

newadministrationtendedtoreacttoevents,andeventhenverytentativelyasProfessor

AlvinJacksonnotes.ThepublicworksschemescontinuedbutthenewWhigMinistryhada

strongerideological

commitment

to

laissez

faire

and

the

rights

of

property.

As

aresult

it

stoppedthedirectimportationoffoodandtooktheviewthatIrishpovertymustbe

supportedbyIrishproperty.Theconsequencesweredisastrous: thepainfullyslowmanner

inwhichreliefschemeswereinauguratedin18467reflectedthegovernmentsabidingfear

ofpervertingmarketforces.AsJacksonnotes:Thistardinesscostlives,inparticularasthe

greatkillers

of

the

Famine

typhus

and

relapsing

fever

were

able

to

spread.2

RussellandhisofficialsfailedtograsptherealnatureoftheIrisheconomy:Irishpeasants

rarelyhandledmoneyand facedwiththepitifullackofaretaildistributionsystem many

diedwiththepenniesintheirhands.

2

Alvin

Jackson,

Ireland

1798

1998

(Blackwell,

1999),

p

79


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TheRateinAidissue:

TheRateinAidissueof1849confirmedthedeepseatedpoliticalandsectariandivisionsin

thecountry

as

the

wealthier

Unions

in

Ulster

protested

at

the

levying

of

atax

of

6d

in

the

poundofthemoreprosperousunionstosubsidisethepoorerunionsinthewest.TheBill

wasopposedbymanylandlords,especiallyinthenorth.TheprobityofUlsterversusthe

slothofConnaughtwasaninterpretationthatwasinvokedfrequently.AseniorPoorLaw

Commissionerinthenorthdescribedthetaxasasubsidytotheindolenceofthewest

whileJoseph

Napier,

MP

for

Trinity

College,

argued

that

the

only

effect

of

the

Bill

wd

be

in

keepingupanarmyofbeggars,fedoutoftheindustryofUlster.5

5.TheOfficialMind:

It

is

clear

that

to

describe

government

policies

as

genocidal

in

motivation

(as

Mitchel

did)

is

simplynotsupportedbytheevidence.However,thereisnodoubtthatmuchofficial

commentismarkedbyarroganceandcallousness.TypicalwastheremarkofCharles

Trevelyan thattheFaminewasthesolutionofanallwiseprovidencetotheproblemof

overpopulationinIreland.AsProfessorPeterGrayobserves,TrevelyanscontroloverIrish

policy

grew

as

the

Famine

continued

and

he

imposed

his

own

rigid

moralistic

agenda

6

Trevelyanwasnotonlyanadvocateofprovidentialismandlaissezfairebutwasalso

convincedofthemoralflawsintheIrishnationalcharacter.

COULDMOREHAVEBEENDONEBYGOVERNMENTTOOVERCOMETHECRISIS?:

5ChristineKinealy,AdeathdealingFamine(PlotoPress,1997),p143

6

Donnelly,

op

cit,

pp20,

28

29


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Akeythemeoftheplaywright,ThomasMurphysdramaticrenditionoftheFaminetragedy

isthenoiseofaconvoyofcorncartsonaroad.7Couldmorehavebeendoneby

governmenttoreducethehighmortality?

Thereisnodoubt,asProfessorsMaryDalyandJamesDonnellyhaveconcluded,thatthe

IrishFaminewasreal,notartificial;foodwasextremelyscarce;itcouldnothavebeen

solvedbyclosingtheports;thechargesofgenocidecannotbesustained.However,Itis

clearthatmoremoneycouldhavebeenspentonreliefwhile(asProfessorCormacOGrada

argues)atemporary

embargo

on

grain

exports

in

early

1847

might

have

alleviated

starvationinthosecriticalearlymonths.

TheresearchofDrChristineKinealyontheadministrationofrelief,especiallyonthe

operationoftheamendedPoorLaw(1847),amountstoascathingindictmentofthewhole

approachoftheBritishgovernmenttotheFamine:Byimplementingapolicywhichinsisted

thatlocal

resources

must

be

exhausted

before

an

external

agency

would

intervenedespite

localadvicetothecontrary,theGovernmentmadesufferinganunavoidableconsequence

thesufferingwasexacerbatedbythefrequentdelaysintheprovisionofreliefandbythe

smallquantityofreliefprovided,whichwasalsooflownutritionalvalue.8

KinealyshowsthatsomeBritishpoorlawofficialsinIreland werecriticalofthepolicies

pursuedby TrevelyanandGovernmentMinisters.Oneofficial,EdwardTwistleton,resigned

in1849onthegroundsthatthedestitutionhereissohorribleandtheindifferenceofthe

7CormacGrda,TheGreatIrishFamine(Macmillan,1989),pp612;MaryEDaly,TheFamineinIreland

(Dundalk,1986),pp4352

8

Donnelly,

op

cit,

p

25,

citing

Kinealy


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10

HouseofCommonstoitsomanifest,thatheisanunfitagentofapolicythatmustbeoneof

extermination.9

CharitableWork:

RegardlessoftheshortcomingsofIrishproperty,individuallandlordsofferedminoractsof

philantrophy.Theclergyofalldenominationswereactiveinreliefwork;in1847alone40

ProtestantministersdiedoftyphusorFaminefever.However,thereligiousdenomination

mostconspicuouslyassociatedwithfaminereliefwastheSocietyofFriends.Thescaleof

Quakerreliefwasbyprivatestandardsenormous.Notonlydidtheyprovidesoupkitchens

intheworstaffecteddistrictsbuttheycollatedaccurateinformationontheactualstateof

affairs.10

There

were

also

instances

of

striking

generosity

and

humanitarianism

from

marginalised

communitiesoverseassuchas theChocktawIndiansofOklahoma.Forcedfromtheirtribal

landsin1831theysentadonationof$710fordistributioninravagedCountyMayo.

TheFaminealsorevealedsomeofthegrimmeraspectsofIrishsocialrelationsinthe19th

century.Inthestruggleforsurvivaltherewasmuchruthlessness: oflandlordsandfarmers

9Donnelly,opcit,pp256.TwistletonwastheChiefIrishPoorLawCommissioner

10

Jackson,

op

cit,

pp77

8


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11

inevictingcottiers;privatetradersinsistingonthefreeexportofgrainintheFamineyears

andgombeenmen exploitingthepoorbylendingmoneyatexorbitantrates.11

THEIMPACTOFTHEFAMINEONULSTER:

TheclaimthattheFaminedidntaffectUlsterhasbeenoneofthe mostunchallenged

mythsinrecentIrishhistory.Asrecentlyasthe1960s,therespectedhistorianJCBeckett

remarkedthatthememoryofblackfortysevenplayslittlepartinUlstertradition.12

Researchoverrecentdecades,however,hascorrectedthisdistortionandrevealedthe

significantimpactwhichtheFaminemadeontheprovinceasawholeandonthepolitical

Northinparticular.

The fullimpactofthecatastropheof184551onUlsterisrevealedinthe1851census.

This

shows

that

in

the

nine

counties

the

population

fell

by

340,000

between

1841

and

1851,

adropof15.7percentcomparedwith19.9percentforthewholeoflreland.13

ThenorthhadfaredbetterthanthesouthandwestbutnotaswellasLeinster(which

recordeda15percentloss).Toobtainatruepictureoftheravagesofdeathfromhunger

anddiseaseandtheeffectsofemigration,historiansestimatethatUlstersuffered224,000

excessdeaths

or

8.6

per

cent,

ie

the

number

over

and

above

those

who

would

have

died

fromnaturalcausesduringthatdecade.

11Jackson,opcit,p81

12JCBeckett,AShortHistoryofIreland(London,1973).Pp1456

13

Jonathan

Bardon,

A

History

of

Ulster

(Belfast,

1992),

pp307

8


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12

ThegreatestlossesofpopulationwereinthesouthUlstercountiesofCavan,Fermanagh

andMonaghanwheretheratesperthousandofexcessmortalitywere42.7percentfor

Cavan,29.2forFermanaghand28.6for Monaghan. Tyrone,AntrimandArmaghwereclose

tothenationalaveragewithratesofaround15percent.Theexcessdeathratesforthe

remainingcountieswere10.7forDonegal,6.7forDownand5.7forDerry.Suchstatisticsdo

notincludethevastnumberswhodiedsoonafterarrivalinBritainorenroutetoAmerica.

Nordotheyincludetheestimated200,000lostbirths.

Whileit

is

clear

that

south

Ulster

suffered

most

severely,

research

shows

that

the

events

of184551affectednormallyprosperouspartsofthenortheast,includingBelfast,north

DownandparticularlythelinentriangleofnorthArmagh.TheFamineyearscoincidedwith

thedeclineofthedomesticlinenindustryandadownturninthelinentradeinUlsterwhich

mademanyweaversandtheirfamiliesvulnerabletohungeranddisease.

InCountyCavan,where82percentofthepopulationof240,000livedinthirdorfourth

classhousesandwereneverfarfromstarvation,theareasworstaffectedbyblightand

diseasewereinthedenselypopulatedparishesofeastandmidCavan;forexample,

Castlewardlost31percentofitspopulation,Inniskeen andKillsherdany36percent.The

extentofdistressisreflectedintheinvolvementof3,500inthecuttingoftheBallinamore

BallyconnellcanalasaFaminereliefschemein1846.

InCavanthecrisiswasexacerbatedbytheactionsofabsenteelandlordswhoevicted

manycottiers.InJanuary1849RevMattMcQuaid,PPofKillsherdanycomplainedofthe

terriblepersecutionofthepoorbytheagentsofthelandlords.Heremarkedonhow


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13

mothersandchildrenhadbeendrivenoutlikeaparcelofswineonastormywintersnight.

In1847alonetherewere633deathsinCavanworkhouseduetofeverwhichclaimedthe

livesofdoctorsandclergyofbothdenominationsincludingRevCharlesBeresford,the

rectorofBailieborough,anactivereliefworker.14

IntheadjoiningcountyofMonaghan,thegreatestimpactofhungeranddiseasewason

thelandlesscottierclasswith11ofits65electoraldivisionslosingmorethan40percentof

theirpopulations. IntheShirleyestateinsouthMonaghan,thelandagent,WSTrench

reducedthe

tenantry

by

20

per

cent

through

assisted

emigration.

15

WithintheareaofthefutureNorthernIrelandthegreatestimpactwasonFermanagh.Four

ofitseightbaroniessufferedpopulationlossesof2731percentoverthedecade184151.16

ByDecember1846thefirstdeathsfromstarvationwerereportedinthelocalpress.Byearly

1847cholerawasspreadingthroughthecountywiththeErnePacketreporting:InGarvary

Woodhundreds

of

corpses

are

buried,

they

were

the

victims

of

cholera

and

their

relatives

tooweaktocarrythemtothegraveyard.

By1847thecountysworkhouseswereovercrowdedwiththeinmatesdrawnfromboth

religioustraditions.InLisnaskeaovertheFamineperiodonethirdofthoseadmittedwas

ProtestantandtwothirdsCatholic.Bythesummerof18472,000werebeingfedbythe

soupkitcheninEnniskillenand2,700inMaguiresbridge.

14CKinealyandTParkhill(eds),TheFamineinUlster(Belfast,1997),pp5975

15Ibid,pp1846

16

Ibid,

pp

130

6


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14

AnaspectoftheFamineinFermanaghwasthehighpercentageofyoungpeopleunder15

amongtheworkhousepopulation.(some48%inEnniskillenby1848).Some150female

orphansfromFermanaghworkhousesweresentaspartofaconsignmentof4,000Irish

femaleorphanstoAustraliaduring184850.17

TodaythereareFaminegraveyardsatKesh(inthecareoftheChurchofIreland) andatthe

formerWorkhouseatIrvinestowninCoFermanagh.

InCoTyrone thestatisticsmaysuggestthatitwasoneofthoseIrishcountiesleast

affectedbytheFamine,yet11,500weredependentonpublicworksduring 184647.

Overall,thecountyavoidedextremedestitution.TheworstaffectedareaswereOmaghand

Clogherpoorlawunions,eachofwhichhadalmost21%ofthepopulationinreceiptof

food. Acrossthecountytheworkhouseswereinundatedwithapplicantsfrom1846

onwards,reflectingthesocialcollapseofthelabourersandsmallfarmers.FromClogher(

thebirth

place

of

the

writer

William

Carleton)

in

early

1847

the

parish

priest

reported

that

thepeoplewerestarvingmanyofthemlivingsolelyoncabbages.

ThepictureinStrabaneonDonegalborderwasoneofdestitutionandheartrending

privationwhileRevRobertMaude,theProtestantDeanofClogher,notedthatinhisdistrict

thecircleofdestitutionisrapidlyincreasingandextendingtoahigherclassofthe

agriculturalpopulationaccordingastheirlittlestoreisreduced18FromDromoreinwest

Tyronetherector, RevHenryStGeorge,wroteinMarch1847thatmanyhavediedof

17Ibid,pp1415

18

Ibid,

pp

215

6


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15

actualwantwhilemothersandinfantswerestarving.InallpartsofTyronedistresswere

intensifiedbythegeneraldeclineofthedomesticlinenindustry.

InDonegal

John

Tuke

of

the

Society

of

Friends

described

human

misery

in

every

part

of

thecountyduringavisitinlate1846andearly1847.Hefoundconditionsintheworkhouses

ofGlenties,BallyshannonandLetterkennyappalling.InInishowendistressaffectedall

sectionsofthepopulationwhileinthenorthofthecountygreathardshipwasreported

amongthemiserableandneglectedtenantsoftheMarquisofConyngham,anabsentee

landlordwith

120,000

acres.

19

InsouthDonegaltheinabilityofstarvingtenantstopaytheirrentsresultedinmass

evictions.ThefamineyearssawlargescaleemigrationtotheUnitedStatesthroughtheports

ofDerryandSligo.

Amongthemementosoftheperiodis amonumenttotheFaminedeadinBallyshannon,

DunfanaghyWorkhouse,theFamineVillagenearBuncranaandanumberofBrachan

Roadsrecallingthedistributionofbrachnorporridgetothestarvingpoor.

OneofthemostsurprisingaspectsoftheFamineinthenorthwasitssearingimpactin

traditionallyprosperouspartsofeastUlster.ParticularlyhardhitwastheLurganPortadown

linen

triangle

of

north

Armagh.

By

the

early

months

of

1847

Lurgan,

once

described

as

a

prosperousandthrivingtown,wassufferingalevelofworkhousemortalityonaparwith

theworstafflictedareasofthecountry.Asinotherflaxgrowingcounties,thepotatoblight

andsubsequentfevercoincidedwithdistressamongtheunemployedweaversfamilies

whiletheareawasdominatedbysmallholdingsoflessthanoneacre.

19

Ibid,

pp

80

5


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16

LurganWorkhousewasovercrowdedandbyFebruary1847recordedthethirdhighest

mortalityofanyworkhouseinIrelandafterBantryinwestCorkandGlentiesinDonegal.

ThedeathratepromptedaninquirybytheReliefCommissionersin1847whichblamedthe

crisisonovercrowding, thefactthattheclothesinwhichpaupersdiedwerereusedto

clothelivinginmateswhilethecorpsesoffevervictimswereinterredbesidetheworkhouse

well.Theresultwasacycleofdeath.Theworkhousewaspoorlymanagedwithan

incompetentMedicalOfficerwhiletheProtestantchaplain,RevOulton,complainedtoLord

Lurgan,thelocallandlord,thattheinmateswerefedbrothmadefromputridbeef.

ThefamineandpestilenceinnorthArmaghduring184648affectedbothProtestantsand

Catholicswhileitsleadinglandowner,LordLurganhimself,diedfromtyphusfeverinApril

1847.20

InnearbyPortadownLordGosforddescribedthepopulationasbeinginamostwretched

statewhile

the

mill

village

of

Donacloney

suffered

awful

want.

In

Armagh,

as

elsewhere

in

Ulster,ProtestantandCatholicclergycooperatedinestablishingreliefcommitteesand

soupkitchenswhileRevClements,aProtestantclergyman,complainedoftheindifference

ofthelocallandlordstowardstheirstarvingtenants.InTartaraghan,aruraldistrictnear

Portadown,theSocietyofFriendsreporteddeathsfromstarvationandfearedastate

parallelto

the

worst

picturesfrom

the

County

of

Cork.

ThefaminealsoimpactedonAntrim,DownandDerry.IntheNewtownardsareaofnorth

Downthepotatoblightcoincidedwiththedownturninthelinenindustry,placingthe

handloomweaversingreatdistress.Reliefcommitteesandpublicworksweresetupwhile

20

Ibid,

pp

43

57


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19

ByJune1847thecrisisbroughttogetheracrosscommunitybodyledbytheCatholicbishop,

CorneliusDenvir,andPresbyterianclergy. However,thecollaborationofCatholicand

ProtestantclergyinthesuppressionofbeggarsevokedauniqueGaelic protestpoem,Ceol

namBacachfromthepenoftheGaelicscribe,AodhMacDomhnaill,broughttoBelfast

fromCountyMeathbythePresbyterianindustrialistandGaeilgeoir,RobertMacAdamofthe

SohoFoundry.25

MassgravesweredugforthevictimsinFriarsBush(theancientCatholicburialgroundat

Stranmillis),Shankill

(Church

of

Ireland)

and

Clifton

Street

(Presbyterian).

Today

asimple

stonemarksthePlagueyHillatFriarsBush,besideQueensUniversity,whereupto1200

victimsofthe1847pandemiclieburied. In1996BelfastCityCouncilmarkedthe

sesquicentennialoftheGreatFaminewithastainedglasswindowintheCityHall.

(InsertpicofPlaque)

InCountyDerrythefaminebithardinboththenorthernandsouthernendsofthecounty.

Itisestimatedthattherewere1,000excessdeathsinthecountyperyearduring184651.In

theAghadoweyandAgiveydistrictsofnorthDerrydistressamongthecottiersalarmedRev

JohnBrown,aChurchofIrelandclergyman,whourgedthelocallandlord,theMarquessof

Waterfordtoattendtothepooronhisestate.TheMarquessrespondedbyestablishing

soupkitchens.InAghanloo,nearLimavady,RevWilliamHughes,anotherrector,reported

greatdistressinlate1846amongthelabouringorcottierclass.FromMagherafeltin

southDerryLordLondonderrysagentreportedtohismasterthespreadoffeverinthe

districtbyOctober1847.

25

I

am

indebted

to

Dr

Fionntan

de

Brun

(University

of

Ulster,

Coleraine)

for

this

reference.


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20

MeanwhiletheportofDerryplayedakeyroleintheflowofemigrantsfromnorthwest

Ulster.InDecember1848theLondonderry,ashipenroutefromSligotoLiverpoolputinto

Derrywhere 72men,womenandchildrenwerefoundsuffocatedinthehold.26

WhileitistruethattheFamineaffectedeverysectionoftheUlsterpopulation,theRate

inAidissueof1849showedthatsectarianismwasneverfarfromthesurface.

TheGreatFaminehasmanylessonsforthosecopingwithfamineandfoodsecurityinthe

ThirdWorldtoday:

theslavishdevotiontolaissezfaireandtheprevailingeconomicorthodoxywhichsawfood

exportedfromthecountry:

thefatalsystemofsubdivisionandtheover relianceonasinglefoodsource;

thelackofanycoherentnationalleadership;

astriking

lack

of

compassion

among

Government

and

officials;

thelackofanyrealnationalleadershiporconsensusonhowtocopewiththecrisis.As

Mitchelputit,ThehighaspirationsafteranationalSenateandanationalflaghadsunkto a

merecravingforfood.27

the

grudging,

tardy

and

trite

nature

of

the

official

response

thetragedyoftheunregulatedcoffinships

26KinealyandParkhill(eds),theFamineinUlster,pp15362

27

Beckett,

op

cit,

p145


21/22

21

TheFaminewouldleaveIrelandchangedunrecognisably.Itwouldtransformlandholding

andagriculture,leavealegacyofcontinuousemigrationandacceleratethedeclineofthe

Irishlanguage.Butregardlessofwhetheritactedasawatershedoranacceleratorof

changesalreadyintrain,itsmostbrutalmonumentwasthemassivelossoflife.Inthe

RossesareaofwestDonegaltheimpactofAnGortaMorwaspoignantlyrecalledbyits

survivors:

ThainigblaintaanGhortaagusandrochshaoghalagusantocrasagusbhrissinneart

agusspiorad

nndaoini.

Mharbh

an

Gorta

achan

rud.

(The

years

of

the

Famine,

of

the

badtimesandthehungerbrokethespiritandstrengthofthepeople.TheFaminekilled

everything.28

Thefolkmemoryofthat awfulperiodlingersoninIreland,northandsouth,andnow

findspositiveexpressionthecommitmentoftheIrishstateandIrishpeopletothe

eradicationof

hunger

and

disease

in

the

developing

world

today.

Sources:

JonathanBardon,AHistoryofUlster(Belfast,1992)

JonathanBardon,Belfast,AnIllustratedHistory(Belfast,1982)

CKinealyandTParkhill(eds),TheFamineinUlster(Belfast,1997)

CDillonandHAJefferies,Tyrone:HistoryandSociety(Dublin,2000)

28

Kinealy,

A

Death

dealing

Famine,

pp

154

5


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great irish famine- final presentation _2

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