What Really Caused the Irish Potato Famine

On March 14, 2019, Skidompha Library's and Chats with Champions Committee welcomed Bob Emmons who spoke about the cause of the potato famine in Ireland in the mid-1800s.

Approximately 36 million people in the United States have Irish ancestry. This is the third largest ancestry group, surpassed only in numbers by Americans with German or African origins. Nearly two million Irish immigrated to the United States in the 1840s and 1850s. The major reason for this mass migration was due to the famine and disease resulting from a pathogen that caused late blight disease of potato. The Irish famine was the worst to occur in Europe in the 19th century. The behavior of the English government before and after the destruction of the potato crop greatly aggravated the crisis. While this topic is discussed during this presentation, the emphasis is focused on the plant pathology aspect. How the actual pathogen was discovered and the ‘germ theory’ proven is one of the major scientific breakthroughs of the nineteenth century.

Bob Emmons was a professor for 31 years at the State University of New York campus in Cobleskill, New York. He taught in the Agriculture School and specialized in Integrated Pest Management, a discipline that emphasizes using environmentally friendly practices to minimize pest problems. He is also the author of a textbook on turfgrass management. Awards he received include the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, The United States Department of Agriculture's Certificate of Merit, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Golf Course Superintendents' Association of America. He and his wife Holly, also a former professor at Cobleskill live in South Bristol. Bob is on the board of both the South Bristol and Skidompha Libraries. You can hear his humorous talks on Skidompha Library's Owl Radio podcast station, too!