6/10/2023 0 Comments The great hunger ireland 1845 1849![]() ![]() One thing is certain, the staple food of the people is gone: and the Government cannot too soon exert themselves to make provision to provide against certain famine'.Īs the death toll mounted, the countryside was seized with panic and despair. We regret to say no description of potatoes have escaped. From one end to the other the weal has gone forth that the rot is increasing with fearful rapidity. 'The dreadful reality is beyond yea or nay in this county. In August, The Telegraph newspaper in Castlebar reported: Most of the crop was destroyed by the blight, particularly in the west. Government relief measures and local charity also helped. However, the damage to the crop in 1845 was only partial and most had enough to get through that winter. Any other crops or farm animals a smallholder had, went to pay rent. In County Mayo it was estimated that nine tenths of the population depended on it. For one third of the country's population, the potato was the sole article of diet. The first reports of blight appeared in September 1845. ![]() ![]() ![]() County Mayo was one of the counties to suffer most and in commemoration the following article was included in a report from Mayo County Council. ![]()
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