The Great Hunger (Famine)

The Great Hunger, also known as the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852), was a severe food crisis caused by a potato disease called late blight. Potatoes were the staple food for Ireland’s poor, and the failure of the crop led to mass starvation, disease, and emigration. British policies at the time limited aid, worsening the crisis. The famine resulted in about a million deaths and another million people leaving Ireland, drastically reducing its population and deepening economic and social hardships. It remains a significant event in Irish history, highlighting colonial neglect and the devastating impact of crop failure.