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1845 - 1852 THE IRISH FAMINE


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On 06/06/2025 at 15:06, WILF said:

A fascinating and multi faceted subject that I, as a guest, have taken a little bit of time to try and learn about.

The potato famine was in fact a Europe wide event…..it effected many country’s in Europe.

What was different was how it was dealt with in different country’s and Ireland unique context given its history upto that point.

Its a massive and massively interesting subject, to absolutely not do the subject justice and put it in the most simplistic terms, there was plenty of food, record amounts of food but the government (because it was the government of all the British isles at the time) NOT the English as is a popular misnomer decided that the produce was more valuable than human life and shipped it all away.

There was also a darker sub-plot for the more rural areas (like the west of ireland) in as much as they wanted to get rid of that population who were living very much an almost medieval life and so be able to industrialise (agriculturally) bigger areas of the land….basically it was cheaper and more advantageous to let them die.

That explanations doesn’t do all the various parts justice at all as it was in reality, like most things, a perfect storm of circumstances that started way back when one of the Kings of ireland first invited the Norman French Kings of England over to help him get his kingdom back and the details of the deal he did for their help.

Feudalism sets the scene, circumstances do the rest.  

A subject well worth study and not just for its own sake.

 

Henry ii didn't even know about the invasion of Ireland until after it happened. It was a solo run by Strongbow. His jewish sponsors (josce of Gloucester and Aaron of Lincoln were tried for it).390 soldiers he had with him (probably more in a single IPAS centre nowadays)- he'd plenty help from Irish. In the thousand years preceding that Ireland had only twice been ruled by a single high king (lugaigh mc con and Brian boru). Various tribes who were constantly at war with each other. Kidnapping/stealing the wives and mothers of other kings was a favourite tactic in them times(what provoked Diarmuid mcmurrough to seek foreign help in the first place)

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A fascinating and multi faceted subject that I, as a guest, have taken a little bit of time to try and learn about. The potato famine was in fact a Europe wide event…..it effected many country’s

People say the British were responsible for  AN GORTA MOR .  it was the elites in Britain that were responsible, in the same the elites today  are responsible for  a lot of the problems in the world .

A million dead and a million had to emigrate…..you don’t forget that in a hurry mate 

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44 minutes ago, tinytiger said:

Henry ii didn't even know about the invasion of Ireland until after it happened. It was a solo run by Strongbow. His jewish sponsors (josce of Gloucester and Aaron of Lincoln were tried for it).390 soldiers he had with him (probably more in a single IPAS centre nowadays)- he'd plenty help from Irish. In the thousand years preceding that Ireland had only twice been ruled by a single high king (lugaigh mc con and Brian boru). Various tribes who were constantly at war with each other. Kidnapping/stealing the wives and mothers of other kings was a favourite tactic in them times(what provoked Diarmuid mcmurrough to seek foreign help in the first place)

That’s right, I was generalising a bit in my original post but yes, it wasn’t actually the king of England at all to start with was it…..he only got interested after.

And I also read that when it came to Henry VIII some Anglo Irish lords stood against him.

Its a brilliant subject mate, all the little twists and turns of politics and law that eventually lead to a situation where something like the hunger can happen and is allowed to happen.

 

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1 hour ago, tinytiger said:

They were providing aid to Ireland until the young irelander rebellion in Tipperary.(where nobody got killed). Ireland had a massive middle class of small farmers who hated the poor - the blame for the genocide lay chiefly at their door. (I had a great grandmother until I was 17- would have heard a lot of stories from her of her grandparents-they  were still living on the road until 1902 after it). I'd make 1 exception - Donegal was definitely genocided (before,during and after the famine)

Thats sounds like brilliant history there mate, if you get a minute I’d love to read more.

However, your sentence there about middle class farmers were as much to blame made me think of these modern day landlord renting out buildings for IPAS centres…..betraying their own for some coin.

It’s why history is brilliant because there is nothing new in this world. 

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I do like a bit of history its interesting stuff good or bad historical events but one thing is always clear people of power always f***ing the common man over all though out history an common man always having to take the short fall for people of power’s actions or decisions 

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3 hours ago, WILF said:

Thats sounds like brilliant history there mate, if you get a minute I’d love to read more.

However, your sentence there about middle class farmers were as much to blame made me think of these modern day landlord renting out buildings for IPAS centres…..betraying their own for some coin.

It’s why history is brilliant because there is nothing new in this world. 

History is great if the truth gets told mate

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3 hours ago, Lenmcharristar said:

History is great if the truth gets told mate

Agree history maybe gets  written by the victors or the Elite 

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3 hours ago, Lenmcharristar said:

History is great if the truth gets told mate

Well, I’m a Catholic loyalist nationalist Londoner, married to a Protestant girl who lived 3 doors down from Paisleys church in Bangor and I live in the republic…….i think you call me “universally hated !” lol 

Somewhere in that history, I’m f****d no matter what ! lol 

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On 06/06/2025 at 20:22, WILF said:

A million dead and a million had to emigrate…..you don’t forget that in a hurry mate 

Found out recently why my great grandparents moved to England.. they left ireland during the famine.. and now their great great granddaughter was born in ireland and is learning the history.. we will be going to the famine museum soon

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34 minutes ago, Carraghs Gem said:

Found out recently why my great grandparents moved to England.. they left ireland during the famine.. and now their great great granddaughter was born in ireland and is learning the history.. we will be going to the famine museum soon

Its well worth a visit, very interesting.

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Just now, WILF said:

Its well worth a visit, very interesting.

Went to the Museum of country life recently.. brilliant place... could have spent all day there.. bunratty castle is brilliant too.. might have taken a few too many pics of oil lamps and antiques though 

20250520_112040.jpg

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6 minutes ago, Carraghs Gem said:

Went to the Museum of country life recently.. brilliant place... could have spent all day there.. bunratty castle is brilliant too.. might have taken a few too many pics of oil lamps and antiques though 

20250520_112040.jpg

Yeah, it’s cool isn’t it.

I like any place like that…….but the older stuff I like as well.

My daughter’s boyfriend has some cracking ring forts on his land as well as a fortified hill iron age settlement.

It also has an ancient stone prayer hole…..

The ruined fortified houses everywhere never fail to make me go “wow!” 

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1 minute ago, WILF said:

Yeah, it’s cool isn’t it.

I like any place like that…….but the older stuff I like as well.

My daughter’s boyfriend has some cracking ring forts on his land as well as a fortified hill iron age settlement.

It also has an ancient stone prayer hole…..

The ruined fortified houses everywhere never fail to make me go “wow!” 

I know a lad who's hugely into the ring forts but I know very little about them.  Saw queen medb's tomb recently as well 

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