Here's Why England Was HATED By The Irish People

By the 1840s, Ireland was securely under British rule. The tide of nationalism that began on the European continent and the rise of the popular press had energized the nascent Irish nationalist movement, but London’s control was reasonably certain. Ireland itself was a land of contrasts: wealthy developed urban areas like Belfast and Dublin were comparable to major British cities, but millions still eked out difficult lives in the rural counties.

The key to survival for this farming population was the potato. Potatoes were introduced from the Americas in the 16th century and their extremely high yield per acre made them an excellent staple food source. By 1845, Ireland was growing 15 million tons of potatoes per year and they provided most of the calorie intake for about 3 million people. Contrary to popular stereotypes, the Irish also grew many other crops like wheat, oats, barely, and peas, but potatoes were far and away the most important crop for the country.

Enter Phytophthora Infestans, better known as potato blight. Originating in the potato’s homeland of America, blight is a fungal infection that thrives in damp environments and causes infected crops to wither away into inedible black mush. It entered Europe early in the 1840s where it ravaged potato crops in places like Belgium and Holland. However, when it reached the shores of Ireland in 1845, the effects would be apocalyptic.

Famine Arrives

Blight ravaged the 1845 potato crop. This first blight was somewhat sporadic and it took weeks for officials to realize the scale of the disaster. Overall, about 40% of the entire country’s potato crop was ruined. The effect was particularly bad in the eastern, southern, and central regions of Ireland, with many counties reporting that the vast majority of the potatoes were lost. Ireland had faced famines before, there’d been one between 1800 and 1801 and another from 1816 to 1818, but this crisis would be another beast entirely.

Action was clearly needed and this responsibility fell upon the British government. However, in order to understand how the British responded, we need to cover a few things.

#angortamor #history #irishhistory

Music: Epidemic music

Sources:
David Ross, Ireland: History of a Nation, (2002)
James S. Donnelly Jr, The Great Irish Potato Famine, (2001)
Neil Hegarty, The Story of Ireland: A History of the Irish People, (2011)
Tim Pat Coogan, The Famine Plot: England’s Role in Ireland’s Greatest Tragedy, (2012)

Copyright © 2023 A Day In History. All rights reserved.

[vincentwhelan]

As an Englishman this barely touches the surface as to what we did to the Irish people... If you look back to Cromwellian times you will see that we killed over half the population of Ireland. Our history in Ireland is absolutely appalling and never taught in British Schools.

[BIATEC]

Gods bless the Choctaw Nation for their kind thoughts and contribution.

[padraickennedy]

What angers most of us Irish today is the fact that the British government and public seem to not acknowledge the atrocities that their ancestors committed upon my people. Nobody alive today in UK is responsible for what happened in the past but its important to educate both here and Britain to ensure it never happens again.

[boxingcelt]

You "forgot" to mention that tons of food and agriculture were stolen from the country under armed guard, which is why the Irish were so relient on potatos. It's wasn't a famine it's was a genocide

[laryone]

One of the problem with the grain imports was that the dried corn needed to be boiled for about 3 times longer than potatoes to cook it. Most people couldn't afford the fuel to do so, and it was often consumed undercooked which gave very little nutrition and caused additional health problems. The idea that it stemmed the caloric deficit is the result of calculating raw numbers without considering the true cost.

[kerrymandanny]

I have ancestors that died during the Famine as does most in Ireland. Seeing their names on the death register was something i will never forget. Men woman and children snuffed out for nothing but greed and hatred.

[neeioxr]

This is so sanitised. The full story is somewhat more sinister

[The_Republic_of_Ireland]

One crucial thing you forgot lad: only a small percentage of irish people can speak our own language. The English stamped out a lot of the ways for us to learn and speak it in everyday life

[IbrahiemLegoFilms]

You "forgot" to mention that the sultan of the ottoman empire went against the wishes of the queen and shipped many necessary supplies and food to the Irish, and there is still a plaque in Ireland remembering this show of compassion and sympathy.

[saydvoncripps]

English here and working class. My grandfather was in the workhouse, only got out by running away with his brother, lying about their age and joining the army. I had family that staved on the streets of London, under the noses of their 'betters'. They stepped over their bodies, hanged them when hunger drove them to steal, transported them to Australia in conditions much the same as slaves. Now the council estates are being pulled down where they were not sold off, leaving us no where to live, unable to pay the inflated rents of the greedy. But none of my family harmed anyone. There's no war but class war. Every day, I see protests here. They are ignored like my family was ignored. No war but class war. In England, if you want to make a fortune, be a psychopath, care for no one but yourself, and most of all, be a greedy bustard. You'll go far.

[nbenefiel]

Cromwell sent word back to England that not even a pig would raise it’s head in Ireland again. During the famine, enough food left Ireland to feed the country three times over. It was loaded and shipped under the guns of British soldiers. When the decree was read banning the Irish language, it had to be read in Irish because so few people spoke English.

[jeannedouglas]

My mother, rest in peace, when discussing all the oppression in the world, only and always added, " Don't forget the Irish."

[aishaboy]

You forgot to mention the British stamping out any use of the Irish natural language, Gaelige and among other customs. Punishing those who speak it. Those who wore green were hanged.

[shantishanti]

The English poor were treated terribly by the government too... rich people or even those with a middle class income were not fighting for the poor of England during such the poor that were transported to Australia the children as well etc used as slaves... the human 'wealthy people' has always been cruel to those less fortunate.

[edsenr]

Why does no one ever mention that that the actual cause of the famine was penal laws which forced people into depending on one crop...

[mukhumor]

A typical logical fallacy. Blaming the victim for his plight. 'It's because he is catholic' or 'It's because he is lazy' or 'It's because they are inferior humans'. Anything but genuine help to people in need.

[MrKFNeverGiveUp]

It was more of a genocide than a famine.

[emmabruce]

This is just the tip of the iceberg but one crucial omission of your video (of which there is many) is the nationality of these landlords and how the came about to own the land

[Antoward]

The reason a lot of Irish had to survive on potatoes was cause the English took the best farm land most catholics land was the worst only potatoes would grow go to the any mountains in Ireland and you can see the outline of the lazy beds going up them over a million tonnes of food were exported out of the country during the famine there was a saying god sent the blight but the English caused the hunger only for the quakers, the death toll would’ve been a lot higher my grandfather heard the stories from his grandfather who lived by the kindness of a Quaker couple 200 years later and irelands population is not what it was before the famine the British compared Irish people to beasts they were delighted with the famine they wanted the land not the catholics just look up the press of the day to see what they taught of us

[CC]

"Intent" is not necessary for "blame." You can be culpable for deaths because you wanted to kill them, or you can be culpable due to negligence.