ks3: how should we respond to famine: ireland in the 1840s?

28
History & citizenship How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s? Contents About this unit/lesson plans Lessons, sources & worksheets 1. What questions arise from looking at a picture of an eviction during the Irish Famine? 2. How can we explain what was happening in this picture? 3. Why did the Famine happen? 4. How far was eviction the main experience of the Famine? 5. What can we do about famine? Notes 1. Famine in Ireland 2. What happened to the potato crop in the 1840s? 3. Evictions during the Famine 4. Commentaries on some sources 5. Every Child Matters Ireland in Schools Birmingham Pilot Scheme English & Irish history for secondary schools Version 1, 17 November 2008 Watermark: Orphan Girl at Crossmolina, Co. Mayo Anonymous drawing, c. 1850, National Library of Ireland Available online at: http://iisresource.org//Documents/KS3_Dealing_With_Famine.pdf Also a PowerPoint of the images used: http://iisresource.org//Documents/KS3_Dealing_With_Famine.ppt For a PowerPoint overview of the Famine, with songs and music: http://cid-1c89246df096624a.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Famine |_Secondary.ppt?wa=wsignin1.0 Key Stage 3 University of Birmingham BASS University of Northampton

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This Key Stage 3 depth study explores contemporary responses to the the Irish Famine as a way of (a) exploring the history of Ireland and Anglo-Irish relations and (b) addressing responses to famine in the world today. For more resources, please go to: http://iisresource.org/famine_responding.aspx

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

History amp citizenship

How should we respond to FamineIreland in the 1840s

Contents

About this unitlesson plans

Lessons sources amp worksheets1 What questions arise from looking at a picture of an eviction during the Irish Famine2 How can we explain what was happening in this picture 3 Why did the Famine happen4 How far was eviction the main experience of the Famine5 What can we do about famine

Notes1 Famine in Ireland2 What happened to the potato crop in the 1840s3 Evictions during the Famine4 Commentaries on some sources5 Every Child Matters

Ireland in Schools Birmingham Pilot SchemeEnglish amp Irish history for secondary schools Version 1 17 November 2008

Watermark Orphan Girl at Crossmolina Co Mayo

Anonymous drawing c 1850 National Library of Ireland

Available online at httpiisresourceorgDocumentsKS3_Dealing_With_Faminepdf

Also a PowerPoint of the images used httpiisresourceorgDocumentsKS3_Dealing_With_Famineppt

For a PowerPoint overview of the Famine with songs and music

httpcid-1c89246df096624askydrivelivecomselfaspxPublicFamine|_Secondarypptwa=wsignin10

Key Stage 3University of Birmingham BASS University of Northampton

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 2

About the study unit

This study unit is intended as a depth study within the Key Stage 3 History curriculum whenstudyinga the different histories and changing relationships through time of the peoples of England

Ireland Scotland and Walesb the way in which the lives beliefs ideas and attitudes of people in Britain have changed

over time and the factors ndash such as technology economic development war religion andculture ndash that have driven these changes and

c the development of trade colonisation industrialisation and technology the BritishEmpire and its impact on different people in Britain and overseas pre-colonialcivilisations the nature and effects of the slave trade and resistance and decolonisation

The key question asks lsquoHow should we respond to Famine Ireland in the 1840srsquo

Using a variety of stimulus material the unit encourages pupils to explore the past byexamining sources relating to the Irish Famine and the context in which they arose

The key question leads pupils to consider the (a) causes of the Famine (b) ways in which theFamine affected people (c) how they responded to the crisis and (d) how famine is treatedtoday

The key question also leads to a better understanding of the complexities of the impact ofand responses to famine and makes explicit links to Citizenship

The unit also offers scope for work in Literacy and Music

Prior knowledgeIt would be helpful if the pupilhada prior knowledge of other

aspects of Victorian Britainsuch as urban and ruralconditions

b some understanding of theuse of sources

Links to Key Stage 3 Programme of Study for History

1 Key concepts12 Cultural ethnic and religious diversitya Understanding the diverse experiences and ideas

beliefs and attitudes of men women and children inpast societies and how these have shaped the world

13 Change and continuitya Identifying and explaining change and continuity

within and across periods of history14 Cause and consequencea Analysing and explaining the reasons for and results of

historical events situations and changes15 Significancea Considering the significance of events people and

developments in their historical context and in thepresent day

Key processes21 Historical enquirya identify and investigate individually and as part of a

team specific historical questions or issues making andtesting hypotheses

b reflect critically on historical questions or issues

22 Using evidenceb evaluate the sources used in order to reach reasoned

conclusions23 Communicating about the pasta present and organise accounts and explanations

about the past that are coherent structured andsubstantiated using chronological conventions andhistorical vocabulary

b communicate their knowledge and understanding ofhistory in a variety of ways using chronologicalconventions and historical vocabulary

Range amp content3 Range and contentc Appropriate links should be made to some of the

parallel events changes and developments in BritishEuropean and world history

4 Curriculum opportunitiese make links between history and other subjects

and areas of the curriculum including citizenship

Every Child Matters

The unit fully embraces the Every Child Matters strategy - see Note 5

Other Ireland in Schools study units amp resources on the Famine

httpiisresourceorgresources_shaspxLesson plans on following page

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 3

Lesson plans

Lesson Keyquestion

Activities History NC

1 Whatquestions arisefrom lookingat a picture ofan evictionduring theIrish Famine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling and impressions from thepictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the main people in thepicture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape to suggest whathappened next in the picture4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupils generatequestions on post-it notes and stick on characters

12a21b22b23b

2 How can weexplain whatwas happeningin this picture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary inlesson 1 groups decide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask thetenant (or his wife)2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) using character cards toanswer the pupilsrsquo chosen questions in the starter3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to the hotseat4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 15 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might you have evicted yourtenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

3 Why did theFaminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified in lessons 1 amp 22 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources A-L and remove the two red herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- and long-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you think are the two mostimportant causes of the Famine Justify your decision3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-24 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two most important causes ofthe Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

4 How far was eviction themainexperience ofthe Famine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-D show that being evicted from yourhome was not the only source of suffering during the Famine2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses to the famine thaneviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fall into more than one category)3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp 24 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happened during thefamine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

5 What can wedo aboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today 2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think you would haveresponded to the potato Faminersquo3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any other material from thepreceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badge sticker logo etc) and letter topersuade people to support your response4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you to understand whyfamines occur today and how people respond to themOption Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for people experiencingfamine today

13a23a b3c4eCitizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meant that people wereshort of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants as shown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are (such as the bailiff- why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped off what happened to the family whatwill happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 4

Lesson 1

Keyquestion

Activities HistoryNC

Whatquestionsarise fromlooking at apicture ofan evictionduring theIrishFamine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it

2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling andimpressions from the pictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture

3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the mainpeople in the picture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape tosuggest what happened next in the picture

4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupilsgenerate questions on post-it notes and stick on characters

1221b22b23b

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meantthat people were short of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants asshown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are(such as the bailiff - why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped offwhat happened to the family what will happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

Additional teaching aids1 A PowerPoint overview of the Famine with songs and music - suitable for primary as well as secondary schoolshttpcid-1c89246df096624askydrivelivecomselfaspxPublicFamine|_Secondarypptwa=wsignin10

2 Flash presentation using mouseover to identify main figures and action in lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo (source 1A)httpiisresourceorgDocumentsEjectment_Figures_Flashhtml

3 The Illustrated London NewsThe most fruitful contemporary source for images of the Famine is The Illustrated London News the worldrsquos first illustrated newspaperIts first issue was published on Saturday 14 May 1842 Thereafter it appeared weekly with a mission lsquoto keep continually before theeye of the world a living and moving panorama of all its activities and influencesrsquo During the early years all its illustrations wereengravings Its first picture on the theme of the Great Famine appeared in 1846 and depicted the governmentrsquos sale of Indian mealin Cork (source 4N ) Between then and 1849 41 illustrations accompanied various articles on the Famine and the Poor LawValueHow far do the pictures published in The Illustrated London News in the 1840s provide an accurate contemporary record of the Faminecrisis It goes without saying that they were not intended to be a statistical record of the events but did they succeed in capturing theatmosphere of despair and hopelessness The value of the illustrations from this perspective varies considerably Those pictures emphasising scenic beauty ignore the suffering endured during the crisis By contrast other illustrations which can be matched to written evidence do evince the air of desolation that enveloped the countryMany of the sketches were done lsquoon locationrsquo a point very carefully noted by the paper and the personal experience that the artistshad of the suffering population gave a realism to many of their sketches In one issue of the paper the artist assured the readershipthat lsquothe objects of which I send you Sketches are not sought after I do not go out of my way to find themrsquo The conditions under whichone drawing of the starving man Mullins breathing his last was done (source 4B) left such a deep impression that the artist describedthe event in detail The power of image is most strongly illustrated in two sketches lsquoBoy and Girlrsquo at Cahera (source 2D) and lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and herChildrenrsquo (source 4C ) The human suffering is given strength through facial expression ragged clothing and limited detail On the other hand in the eviction illustrations (such as source 1A) the skill detail and intricacy of the artwork detract from the dramaand despair of the episodes and so require more careful study to reveal all the activity and emotion of the scenes lsquoSome pictureshave to work hard to convince while others achieve their aims with consummate easersquoText more valuableThe fact that most of the lsquoFaminersquo pictures were accompanied by emotive text conditioned the response of readers to the visual imageHad the illustrations appeared in isolation their impact on the viewer might have been less Take for example the anatomicalsturdiness of the individuals portrayed in many of the pictures But for the accompanying text the reader might well gain theimpression that the Irish crisis was not severe but merely a temporary problem with food supply whereas we know from the writtendocumentation that this was not so For further details httpiisresourceorgDocuments0A1_Famine_Images_3_Evaluationpdf

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 5

L1 S

tart

erSo

urce

1A

lsquoThe

Eje

ctm

entrsquo

Illus

trat

ed L

ondo

n N

ews

16 D

ecem

ber

1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 6

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he b

ruta

l bai

liffrsquo

2 lsquot

he p

lead

ing

tena

ntrsquo 3

lsquohi

s w

eepi

ng w

ife a

nd c

hild

renrsquo

4 lsquo

the

unfe

elin

g on

look

ersrsquo

5 lsquo

ston

y-fa

ced

sold

iers

rsquo6

lsquothe

roof

bei

ng s

trip

pedrsquo

7 lsquo

man

car

ryin

g of

f tha

tchrsquo

8

lsquodriv

ing

away

live

stoc

krsquolsquoT

he E

ject

men

trsquoIll

ustr

ated

Lon

don

New

s 1

6 D

ecem

ber

1848

1

7

8

6

45

2 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 2: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 2

About the study unit

This study unit is intended as a depth study within the Key Stage 3 History curriculum whenstudyinga the different histories and changing relationships through time of the peoples of England

Ireland Scotland and Walesb the way in which the lives beliefs ideas and attitudes of people in Britain have changed

over time and the factors ndash such as technology economic development war religion andculture ndash that have driven these changes and

c the development of trade colonisation industrialisation and technology the BritishEmpire and its impact on different people in Britain and overseas pre-colonialcivilisations the nature and effects of the slave trade and resistance and decolonisation

The key question asks lsquoHow should we respond to Famine Ireland in the 1840srsquo

Using a variety of stimulus material the unit encourages pupils to explore the past byexamining sources relating to the Irish Famine and the context in which they arose

The key question leads pupils to consider the (a) causes of the Famine (b) ways in which theFamine affected people (c) how they responded to the crisis and (d) how famine is treatedtoday

The key question also leads to a better understanding of the complexities of the impact ofand responses to famine and makes explicit links to Citizenship

The unit also offers scope for work in Literacy and Music

Prior knowledgeIt would be helpful if the pupilhada prior knowledge of other

aspects of Victorian Britainsuch as urban and ruralconditions

b some understanding of theuse of sources

Links to Key Stage 3 Programme of Study for History

1 Key concepts12 Cultural ethnic and religious diversitya Understanding the diverse experiences and ideas

beliefs and attitudes of men women and children inpast societies and how these have shaped the world

13 Change and continuitya Identifying and explaining change and continuity

within and across periods of history14 Cause and consequencea Analysing and explaining the reasons for and results of

historical events situations and changes15 Significancea Considering the significance of events people and

developments in their historical context and in thepresent day

Key processes21 Historical enquirya identify and investigate individually and as part of a

team specific historical questions or issues making andtesting hypotheses

b reflect critically on historical questions or issues

22 Using evidenceb evaluate the sources used in order to reach reasoned

conclusions23 Communicating about the pasta present and organise accounts and explanations

about the past that are coherent structured andsubstantiated using chronological conventions andhistorical vocabulary

b communicate their knowledge and understanding ofhistory in a variety of ways using chronologicalconventions and historical vocabulary

Range amp content3 Range and contentc Appropriate links should be made to some of the

parallel events changes and developments in BritishEuropean and world history

4 Curriculum opportunitiese make links between history and other subjects

and areas of the curriculum including citizenship

Every Child Matters

The unit fully embraces the Every Child Matters strategy - see Note 5

Other Ireland in Schools study units amp resources on the Famine

httpiisresourceorgresources_shaspxLesson plans on following page

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 3

Lesson plans

Lesson Keyquestion

Activities History NC

1 Whatquestions arisefrom lookingat a picture ofan evictionduring theIrish Famine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling and impressions from thepictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the main people in thepicture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape to suggest whathappened next in the picture4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupils generatequestions on post-it notes and stick on characters

12a21b22b23b

2 How can weexplain whatwas happeningin this picture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary inlesson 1 groups decide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask thetenant (or his wife)2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) using character cards toanswer the pupilsrsquo chosen questions in the starter3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to the hotseat4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 15 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might you have evicted yourtenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

3 Why did theFaminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified in lessons 1 amp 22 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources A-L and remove the two red herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- and long-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you think are the two mostimportant causes of the Famine Justify your decision3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-24 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two most important causes ofthe Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

4 How far was eviction themainexperience ofthe Famine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-D show that being evicted from yourhome was not the only source of suffering during the Famine2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses to the famine thaneviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fall into more than one category)3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp 24 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happened during thefamine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

5 What can wedo aboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today 2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think you would haveresponded to the potato Faminersquo3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any other material from thepreceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badge sticker logo etc) and letter topersuade people to support your response4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you to understand whyfamines occur today and how people respond to themOption Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for people experiencingfamine today

13a23a b3c4eCitizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meant that people wereshort of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants as shown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are (such as the bailiff- why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped off what happened to the family whatwill happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 4

Lesson 1

Keyquestion

Activities HistoryNC

Whatquestionsarise fromlooking at apicture ofan evictionduring theIrishFamine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it

2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling andimpressions from the pictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture

3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the mainpeople in the picture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape tosuggest what happened next in the picture

4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupilsgenerate questions on post-it notes and stick on characters

1221b22b23b

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meantthat people were short of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants asshown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are(such as the bailiff - why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped offwhat happened to the family what will happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

Additional teaching aids1 A PowerPoint overview of the Famine with songs and music - suitable for primary as well as secondary schoolshttpcid-1c89246df096624askydrivelivecomselfaspxPublicFamine|_Secondarypptwa=wsignin10

2 Flash presentation using mouseover to identify main figures and action in lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo (source 1A)httpiisresourceorgDocumentsEjectment_Figures_Flashhtml

3 The Illustrated London NewsThe most fruitful contemporary source for images of the Famine is The Illustrated London News the worldrsquos first illustrated newspaperIts first issue was published on Saturday 14 May 1842 Thereafter it appeared weekly with a mission lsquoto keep continually before theeye of the world a living and moving panorama of all its activities and influencesrsquo During the early years all its illustrations wereengravings Its first picture on the theme of the Great Famine appeared in 1846 and depicted the governmentrsquos sale of Indian mealin Cork (source 4N ) Between then and 1849 41 illustrations accompanied various articles on the Famine and the Poor LawValueHow far do the pictures published in The Illustrated London News in the 1840s provide an accurate contemporary record of the Faminecrisis It goes without saying that they were not intended to be a statistical record of the events but did they succeed in capturing theatmosphere of despair and hopelessness The value of the illustrations from this perspective varies considerably Those pictures emphasising scenic beauty ignore the suffering endured during the crisis By contrast other illustrations which can be matched to written evidence do evince the air of desolation that enveloped the countryMany of the sketches were done lsquoon locationrsquo a point very carefully noted by the paper and the personal experience that the artistshad of the suffering population gave a realism to many of their sketches In one issue of the paper the artist assured the readershipthat lsquothe objects of which I send you Sketches are not sought after I do not go out of my way to find themrsquo The conditions under whichone drawing of the starving man Mullins breathing his last was done (source 4B) left such a deep impression that the artist describedthe event in detail The power of image is most strongly illustrated in two sketches lsquoBoy and Girlrsquo at Cahera (source 2D) and lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and herChildrenrsquo (source 4C ) The human suffering is given strength through facial expression ragged clothing and limited detail On the other hand in the eviction illustrations (such as source 1A) the skill detail and intricacy of the artwork detract from the dramaand despair of the episodes and so require more careful study to reveal all the activity and emotion of the scenes lsquoSome pictureshave to work hard to convince while others achieve their aims with consummate easersquoText more valuableThe fact that most of the lsquoFaminersquo pictures were accompanied by emotive text conditioned the response of readers to the visual imageHad the illustrations appeared in isolation their impact on the viewer might have been less Take for example the anatomicalsturdiness of the individuals portrayed in many of the pictures But for the accompanying text the reader might well gain theimpression that the Irish crisis was not severe but merely a temporary problem with food supply whereas we know from the writtendocumentation that this was not so For further details httpiisresourceorgDocuments0A1_Famine_Images_3_Evaluationpdf

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 5

L1 S

tart

erSo

urce

1A

lsquoThe

Eje

ctm

entrsquo

Illus

trat

ed L

ondo

n N

ews

16 D

ecem

ber

1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 6

1 lsquot

he b

ruta

l bai

liffrsquo

2 lsquot

he p

lead

ing

tena

ntrsquo 3

lsquohi

s w

eepi

ng w

ife a

nd c

hild

renrsquo

4 lsquo

the

unfe

elin

g on

look

ersrsquo

5 lsquo

ston

y-fa

ced

sold

iers

rsquo6

lsquothe

roof

bei

ng s

trip

pedrsquo

7 lsquo

man

car

ryin

g of

f tha

tchrsquo

8

lsquodriv

ing

away

live

stoc

krsquolsquoT

he E

ject

men

trsquoIll

ustr

ated

Lon

don

New

s 1

6 D

ecem

ber

1848

1

7

8

6

45

2 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 3: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 3

Lesson plans

Lesson Keyquestion

Activities History NC

1 Whatquestions arisefrom lookingat a picture ofan evictionduring theIrish Famine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling and impressions from thepictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the main people in thepicture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape to suggest whathappened next in the picture4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupils generatequestions on post-it notes and stick on characters

12a21b22b23b

2 How can weexplain whatwas happeningin this picture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary inlesson 1 groups decide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask thetenant (or his wife)2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) using character cards toanswer the pupilsrsquo chosen questions in the starter3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to the hotseat4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 15 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might you have evicted yourtenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

3 Why did theFaminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified in lessons 1 amp 22 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources A-L and remove the two red herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- and long-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you think are the two mostimportant causes of the Famine Justify your decision3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-24 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two most important causes ofthe Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

4 How far was eviction themainexperience ofthe Famine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-D show that being evicted from yourhome was not the only source of suffering during the Famine2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses to the famine thaneviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fall into more than one category)3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp 24 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happened during thefamine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

5 What can wedo aboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today 2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think you would haveresponded to the potato Faminersquo3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any other material from thepreceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badge sticker logo etc) and letter topersuade people to support your response4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you to understand whyfamines occur today and how people respond to themOption Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for people experiencingfamine today

13a23a b3c4eCitizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meant that people wereshort of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants as shown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are (such as the bailiff- why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped off what happened to the family whatwill happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 4

Lesson 1

Keyquestion

Activities HistoryNC

Whatquestionsarise fromlooking at apicture ofan evictionduring theIrishFamine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it

2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling andimpressions from the pictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture

3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the mainpeople in the picture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape tosuggest what happened next in the picture

4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupilsgenerate questions on post-it notes and stick on characters

1221b22b23b

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meantthat people were short of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants asshown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are(such as the bailiff - why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped offwhat happened to the family what will happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

Additional teaching aids1 A PowerPoint overview of the Famine with songs and music - suitable for primary as well as secondary schoolshttpcid-1c89246df096624askydrivelivecomselfaspxPublicFamine|_Secondarypptwa=wsignin10

2 Flash presentation using mouseover to identify main figures and action in lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo (source 1A)httpiisresourceorgDocumentsEjectment_Figures_Flashhtml

3 The Illustrated London NewsThe most fruitful contemporary source for images of the Famine is The Illustrated London News the worldrsquos first illustrated newspaperIts first issue was published on Saturday 14 May 1842 Thereafter it appeared weekly with a mission lsquoto keep continually before theeye of the world a living and moving panorama of all its activities and influencesrsquo During the early years all its illustrations wereengravings Its first picture on the theme of the Great Famine appeared in 1846 and depicted the governmentrsquos sale of Indian mealin Cork (source 4N ) Between then and 1849 41 illustrations accompanied various articles on the Famine and the Poor LawValueHow far do the pictures published in The Illustrated London News in the 1840s provide an accurate contemporary record of the Faminecrisis It goes without saying that they were not intended to be a statistical record of the events but did they succeed in capturing theatmosphere of despair and hopelessness The value of the illustrations from this perspective varies considerably Those pictures emphasising scenic beauty ignore the suffering endured during the crisis By contrast other illustrations which can be matched to written evidence do evince the air of desolation that enveloped the countryMany of the sketches were done lsquoon locationrsquo a point very carefully noted by the paper and the personal experience that the artistshad of the suffering population gave a realism to many of their sketches In one issue of the paper the artist assured the readershipthat lsquothe objects of which I send you Sketches are not sought after I do not go out of my way to find themrsquo The conditions under whichone drawing of the starving man Mullins breathing his last was done (source 4B) left such a deep impression that the artist describedthe event in detail The power of image is most strongly illustrated in two sketches lsquoBoy and Girlrsquo at Cahera (source 2D) and lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and herChildrenrsquo (source 4C ) The human suffering is given strength through facial expression ragged clothing and limited detail On the other hand in the eviction illustrations (such as source 1A) the skill detail and intricacy of the artwork detract from the dramaand despair of the episodes and so require more careful study to reveal all the activity and emotion of the scenes lsquoSome pictureshave to work hard to convince while others achieve their aims with consummate easersquoText more valuableThe fact that most of the lsquoFaminersquo pictures were accompanied by emotive text conditioned the response of readers to the visual imageHad the illustrations appeared in isolation their impact on the viewer might have been less Take for example the anatomicalsturdiness of the individuals portrayed in many of the pictures But for the accompanying text the reader might well gain theimpression that the Irish crisis was not severe but merely a temporary problem with food supply whereas we know from the writtendocumentation that this was not so For further details httpiisresourceorgDocuments0A1_Famine_Images_3_Evaluationpdf

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 5

L1 S

tart

erSo

urce

1A

lsquoThe

Eje

ctm

entrsquo

Illus

trat

ed L

ondo

n N

ews

16 D

ecem

ber

1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 6

1 lsquot

he b

ruta

l bai

liffrsquo

2 lsquot

he p

lead

ing

tena

ntrsquo 3

lsquohi

s w

eepi

ng w

ife a

nd c

hild

renrsquo

4 lsquo

the

unfe

elin

g on

look

ersrsquo

5 lsquo

ston

y-fa

ced

sold

iers

rsquo6

lsquothe

roof

bei

ng s

trip

pedrsquo

7 lsquo

man

car

ryin

g of

f tha

tchrsquo

8

lsquodriv

ing

away

live

stoc

krsquolsquoT

he E

ject

men

trsquoIll

ustr

ated

Lon

don

New

s 1

6 D

ecem

ber

1848

1

7

8

6

45

2 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 4: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 4

Lesson 1

Keyquestion

Activities HistoryNC

Whatquestionsarise fromlooking at apicture ofan evictionduring theIrishFamine

1 Starter Show eviction source 1A (See Note 3)a Teacher introduction Briefly explain the context of the pictureb Ask pupils what is going on in the picture and who are the people in it

2 a Generate words on a wordwall to show observations feeling andimpressions from the pictureb Pupils match the cards to the picture

3 Working in groups Look at the picture You have to become the mainpeople in the picture a Freeze frameb Judge everyonersquos freeze-frameGive it a mark from 1 (not like the picture) - 5 (exactly like the picture)c Optional extension activity make a 3 second movie with soundscape tosuggest what happened next in the picture

4 Plenary Asking questions (Role on the wall)Pin two characters on board - bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) - and pupilsgenerate questions on post-it notes and stick on characters

1221b22b23b

In the 1840s Ireland faced a serious famine caused by the failure of the potato crop Irelandrsquos staple food It meantthat people were short of food to eat and money to pay their rents This led to some landlords to evict tenants asshown in source 1A

Questions could include why is the family being evicted why are the characters in the picture behaving as they are(such as the bailiff - why is he evicting this family the soldiers - why are they there) why is the roof being ripped offwhat happened to the family what will happen to the land did all people go without food why was there a famine

Additional teaching aids1 A PowerPoint overview of the Famine with songs and music - suitable for primary as well as secondary schoolshttpcid-1c89246df096624askydrivelivecomselfaspxPublicFamine|_Secondarypptwa=wsignin10

2 Flash presentation using mouseover to identify main figures and action in lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo (source 1A)httpiisresourceorgDocumentsEjectment_Figures_Flashhtml

3 The Illustrated London NewsThe most fruitful contemporary source for images of the Famine is The Illustrated London News the worldrsquos first illustrated newspaperIts first issue was published on Saturday 14 May 1842 Thereafter it appeared weekly with a mission lsquoto keep continually before theeye of the world a living and moving panorama of all its activities and influencesrsquo During the early years all its illustrations wereengravings Its first picture on the theme of the Great Famine appeared in 1846 and depicted the governmentrsquos sale of Indian mealin Cork (source 4N ) Between then and 1849 41 illustrations accompanied various articles on the Famine and the Poor LawValueHow far do the pictures published in The Illustrated London News in the 1840s provide an accurate contemporary record of the Faminecrisis It goes without saying that they were not intended to be a statistical record of the events but did they succeed in capturing theatmosphere of despair and hopelessness The value of the illustrations from this perspective varies considerably Those pictures emphasising scenic beauty ignore the suffering endured during the crisis By contrast other illustrations which can be matched to written evidence do evince the air of desolation that enveloped the countryMany of the sketches were done lsquoon locationrsquo a point very carefully noted by the paper and the personal experience that the artistshad of the suffering population gave a realism to many of their sketches In one issue of the paper the artist assured the readershipthat lsquothe objects of which I send you Sketches are not sought after I do not go out of my way to find themrsquo The conditions under whichone drawing of the starving man Mullins breathing his last was done (source 4B) left such a deep impression that the artist describedthe event in detail The power of image is most strongly illustrated in two sketches lsquoBoy and Girlrsquo at Cahera (source 2D) and lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and herChildrenrsquo (source 4C ) The human suffering is given strength through facial expression ragged clothing and limited detail On the other hand in the eviction illustrations (such as source 1A) the skill detail and intricacy of the artwork detract from the dramaand despair of the episodes and so require more careful study to reveal all the activity and emotion of the scenes lsquoSome pictureshave to work hard to convince while others achieve their aims with consummate easersquoText more valuableThe fact that most of the lsquoFaminersquo pictures were accompanied by emotive text conditioned the response of readers to the visual imageHad the illustrations appeared in isolation their impact on the viewer might have been less Take for example the anatomicalsturdiness of the individuals portrayed in many of the pictures But for the accompanying text the reader might well gain theimpression that the Irish crisis was not severe but merely a temporary problem with food supply whereas we know from the writtendocumentation that this was not so For further details httpiisresourceorgDocuments0A1_Famine_Images_3_Evaluationpdf

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 5

L1 S

tart

erSo

urce

1A

lsquoThe

Eje

ctm

entrsquo

Illus

trat

ed L

ondo

n N

ews

16 D

ecem

ber

1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 6

1 lsquot

he b

ruta

l bai

liffrsquo

2 lsquot

he p

lead

ing

tena

ntrsquo 3

lsquohi

s w

eepi

ng w

ife a

nd c

hild

renrsquo

4 lsquo

the

unfe

elin

g on

look

ersrsquo

5 lsquo

ston

y-fa

ced

sold

iers

rsquo6

lsquothe

roof

bei

ng s

trip

pedrsquo

7 lsquo

man

car

ryin

g of

f tha

tchrsquo

8

lsquodriv

ing

away

live

stoc

krsquolsquoT

he E

ject

men

trsquoIll

ustr

ated

Lon

don

New

s 1

6 D

ecem

ber

1848

1

7

8

6

45

2 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 5: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 5

L1 S

tart

erSo

urce

1A

lsquoThe

Eje

ctm

entrsquo

Illus

trat

ed L

ondo

n N

ews

16 D

ecem

ber

1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 6

1 lsquot

he b

ruta

l bai

liffrsquo

2 lsquot

he p

lead

ing

tena

ntrsquo 3

lsquohi

s w

eepi

ng w

ife a

nd c

hild

renrsquo

4 lsquo

the

unfe

elin

g on

look

ersrsquo

5 lsquo

ston

y-fa

ced

sold

iers

rsquo6

lsquothe

roof

bei

ng s

trip

pedrsquo

7 lsquo

man

car

ryin

g of

f tha

tchrsquo

8

lsquodriv

ing

away

live

stoc

krsquolsquoT

he E

ject

men

trsquoIll

ustr

ated

Lon

don

New

s 1

6 D

ecem

ber

1848

1

7

8

6

45

2 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 6: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 6

1 lsquot

he b

ruta

l bai

liffrsquo

2 lsquot

he p

lead

ing

tena

ntrsquo 3

lsquohi

s w

eepi

ng w

ife a

nd c

hild

renrsquo

4 lsquo

the

unfe

elin

g on

look

ersrsquo

5 lsquo

ston

y-fa

ced

sold

iers

rsquo6

lsquothe

roof

bei

ng s

trip

pedrsquo

7 lsquo

man

car

ryin

g of

f tha

tchrsquo

8

lsquodriv

ing

away

live

stoc

krsquolsquoT

he E

ject

men

trsquoIll

ustr

ated

Lon

don

New

s 1

6 D

ecem

ber

1848

1

7

8

6

45

2 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 7: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 7

L12b lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo cards

lsquothe brutal bailiffrsquo lsquothe pleading tenantrsquo

lsquothe tenantrsquos weeping wifeand childrenrsquo lsquothe unfeeling onlookersrsquo

lsquostony-faced soldiersrsquo lsquothe roof being strippedrsquo

lsquoman carrying off thatchrsquo lsquodriving away livestockrsquo

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 8: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 8

Lesson 2

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How canwe explainwhat washappeningin thispicture

1 Starter Divide class into groups Using source 1A and the questions from the plenary in lesson 1 groupsdecide on two questions to ask the bailiff and two questions to ask the tenant(or his wife)

2 Selected pupils hotseat as bailiff and tenant (or tenantrsquos wife) usingcharacter cards to answer the pupilrsquos chosen questions in the starter

3 Look at written sources 2A-EHow far do they explain the picture andor the pupilrsquos questions to thehotseat

4 Add to wordwall using a different colour from that used in lesson 1

5 Plenary Pair-share the question lsquoIf you were a landlord why might youhave evicted your tenantsrsquo

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 9: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 9

L22 Character cards

BailiffI am an important local person so I do not have much to do with thetenants I am employed by the landlord who owns the land the family isoccupying It is my job to make sure that the rent is paid to the landlord Ifit is not I have to evict people from their homes I know people will behomeless and may even starve because they have lost their land as well astheir homes but I could lose my job if I do not do what the landlord tells meSome of my landlords are Protestant and some also live in England butwherever they are they need money to live on and pay taxes particularly inthese hard times

TenantI am a Catholic and do not own any land I rent land from a landlord It isnot a lot of land but it was enough keep us housed and fed with potatoesand pig meat We managed alright until the failure of the potato crop whichhas hit us hard I had to sell the pig to buy food and even sold our bestclothes in order to survive For the last few weeks my children havesearched the fields and woods for food - the odd potato berries evennettles There is no way of earning money and we cannot see our way topay our rent this year Now that we have lost our cottage and land I do notknow what we will do Some of our evicted neighbours have ended upliving in ditches some have gone to the workhouse others have left Irelandwhile some have died from disease or starvation What will become of us

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 10: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 10

L23 Sources See note 4

Upon an average a man his wife and fourchildren will eat thirty-seven pounds of

potatoes a dayThe family live upon potatoes and

buttermilk six days a week the Sabbath is generally celebrated by

bacon and greens An Englishman seeing a number of fine

florid children in a cabin said to thefather

How do your countrymen manage to have somany fine childrenrsquo

It is the potato sirrsquo said he

As to the potatoes they are gone cleangone If travelling in the dark you wouldknow when a potato field was near by the

smell The fields present one space of withered

stalks Mine which were safe a few days sinceare all going - some gone - though I had

none of the disease last year

Source 2A The importance of the potato in the Irish dietCounty Wicklow 1806

Source 2B A Co Galway priest on the potato blightsummer 1846 Blighted potatoes turn really mushy andsmell awful

Year Acres (1000s)1844 23781845 25161846 19991847 2841848 8101849 719

lsquoA famished boy andgirl turning up theground to seek for apotato to appease theirhungerrsquo

Source 2C Potato crop at the time of the Famine Source 2D Boy and Girl at Cahera Co CorkIllustrated London News 20 February 1847

Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erinrsquos isle Her lofty scenes her valleys green her mountains rude and wildThey say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell Oh why did you abandon it the reason to me tell

My son I loved my native land with energy and pride Till the blight came over all my crops my sheep and cattle diedMy rent and taxes were so high I could not them redeem Thatrsquos the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen

Source 2FWhile most ofIreland sufferedfrom the effectsof the Faminethe worst hitareas were inthe west andsouth-west Tony Allan The IrishFamine The Birth ofI r i s h A m e r i c a H e i n e m a n n 0-43106-908-5 p

18

Source 2E First two verses of the balladlsquoSkibbereenrsquo (later 19th century)Skibbereen was one of the areas worst affected bythe famine ndash and one of the most publicisedTo hear Sinead OrsquoConnorrsquos version please go tohttpukyoutubecomwatchv=S_5HjHmv1NU

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 11: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 11

Lesson 3

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

Why didthe Faminehappen

1 Starter Thought-shower any causes of the Famine you have identified inlessons 1 amp 2

2 Pair-sharea Look at a list of causes of the Famine sources 3A-L and remove the twored herringsb Use the dartboard provided to sort the remaining causes into short- andlong-termc With a marker pen draw links between them and decide which you thinkare the two most important causes of the Famine Justify your decision

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1-2

4 Plenary Feedback to class and agree if possible upon the two mostimportant causes of the Famine

12a14a1521a b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 12: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 12

L32a Sources for causes of the Famine

Population growth was higher in some partsof Ireland than others putting greatpressure on land A common practiceespecially in the West was for tenants todivide their land among their sonsSub-division created many small farms inIreland as the sons themselves alsosub-divided land Many thousands offamilies thus had to exist on smaller andsmaller plots of land

Source 3A Festive group dancing to the lsquouilleannrsquo pipesWaterford by ST Roche 1820s

Source 3B Sub-division of land

GB Ireland1801 107 52m1821 142 68m1841 185 82m

The summer of 1845 was very humid theweather was very warm and also very dampThese conditions were perfect for the potatoblight which ruined the potato crop not only in1845 but also in 1846 and 1848

Source 3C Population growth Source 3D The potato blight

80 per cent of Irish people lived in thecountryside and worked on the land Howeverthey did not own the land they farmed Instead the land was owned by about 20000landlords Each landlord had a large estate ofthousands of acres He divided his land intofarms and rented them out to tenant farmers If the tenants did not pay their rent theywere evicted from (thrown out of) theirfarms Tenants lived in farmhouses or smallcabins Landlords lived in large houses with servants and fine food Some called absenteelandlords did not live in Ireland at all butlived on estates in England

Source 3E Early plantations of Ireland - beginnings of theEnglish conquest of Ireland and ownership of Irish landThe Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

Source 3F Landlords and tenants in Ireland

The policy of the British Government atthat time was called laissez-faire whichmeans lsquoLet bersquo Basically the governmentbelieved it should not interfere withanything to do with trade or the economy

Year

184418451846184718481849

Acres (000)

237825161999

284810719

Produce(000 tons)

1486210063

2999204630774024

Source 3G The British view of the role of government Source 3H The potato crop 1844-49

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 13: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 13

In 1847 a group of Native Americanscalled the Choctaws collected 710 dollars(1 million dollars in todayrsquos value) and sentthe money to the Famine victims

Charles Trevelyan was a very importantperson who worked in the Treasury wherethe British Governmentrsquos money wasmanaged He believed the Famine was sentby Godrsquos lsquoDivine Providencersquo to control thepopulation increase

Source 3I An act of generosity Source 3J A British view of the Famine

Source 3K Maps showing the land owned by Catholics in 1641 1660 and 1703 andhow completely English and Protestants had assumed ownership of Irish land in the 17th century

The Race to Rule by A Hodge Colourpoint Books 1-89839-249-8 p 65

For about a century and a half the potato has been theonly food of the peasantry of Ireland

A very limited portion of land a few days labour and asmall amount of manure will create a stock upon which a

family may exist for twelve monthsNearly every soil will produce potatoes they may be seen

growing from almost barren rock on the side of amountain and in the bog where the foot would sink many

inches in the soil

Source 3L A visitor to Ireland 1843

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 14: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 14

Shor

t-te

rm

L32

b lsquoD

artb

oard

rsquo for

iden

tify

ing

long

- and

sho

rt-t

erm

cau

ses

of th

e Fa

min

e en

larg

e to

A3

Long

-term

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 15: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 15

Lesson 4

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

How farwas eviction themainexperienceof theFamine

1 Starter How far do the following sources 4A-3D show that beingevicted from your home was not the only source of suffering during theFamine

2 Divide class into groups and hand out sources 4E-RGroups decide how far the sources show that there were more responses tothe famine than eviction using the grid provided (Some sources might fallinto more than one category)

3 Add to wordwall using a different colour from those used in lessons 1 amp2

4 Plenary How far does the eviction illustration represent what happenedduring the famine Justify your decision

12a21b22b23b

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 16: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 16

L41 Sources for starter See note 4

We entered a cabin Stretched in one dark corner scarcely visible from the smoke andrags that covered them were three children huddled together eyes sunk voice goneand evidently in the last stages of actual starvation

Source 4A A visitor to the west of Ireland during the winter of 1846-47 As in most famineschildren were particularly badly affected since they need more nutrition than other people

In the Irish Famine as in other famines most people didnot die of hunger but of hunger-related fevers anddiseases

The most important of these are typhus relapsing feverdysentery and cholera Without modern medicines thesediseases especially typhus are often fatal

Source 4B The local vicar visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847

Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddled around embers of the turf fire the vicar himself alsodied of fever shortly afterwards

The picture tells a story from the famine This woman is Bridget OrsquoDonnell Her husband had seven acres of land and the rent was pound725 a year

The family was evicted when they could not pay and men came toknock down their home

Bridget was pregnant and had a fever Her husband went off to find work Neighbours took in Bridget and her children

The baby was born dead and then they all got fever Her 13 year old son died of hunger while the rest were sick

Source 4C Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

1841 81751241851 6552385

Source 4D Decline of Irish population as a result of the Famine Death by disease or starvation accounted for half the decreasePeople leaving Ireland to live abroad emigrating accounted for

the other half

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 17: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 17

L42 Sources

Source 4E A farming family defending their homeagainst eviction Pictorial Times 2 January 1847

Source 4F A government officialrsquos daughter MissKennedy 7years old distributing clothing KilrushCo Clare Illustrated London News 22 December 1849

Grain and other foods such as livestock -cattle sheep and pigs - continued to beexported from Ireland The sight of shipsleaving Irish ports loaded with foodsometimes provoked riots However thegovernment refused to ban the export of food

Too much has been done for the peopleUnder such treatment the people havegrown worse instead of better and we musttry what independent exertion will do

Source 4G Exporting food from Ireland during theFamine

Source 4H Sir Charles Trevelyan a senior Britishcivil servant on why in 1847 the government didnot want to bring food into Ireland or keep openpublic works preferring to use the workhouse

Many landlords acted kindly towards theirtenants as one man from Co Cork recalledlsquoMy grandfather God rest his soul went topay part of his rent to his landlord Feedyour family first then give me what you canafford when times get better he told himrsquo

Other landlords continued to evict anytenants who could not pay their rents lsquoFifty families were evicted from thisdistrict of Kileaskin by a local landlord The thatch of the roofs was torn off evenbefore the people had time to leaversquo

Source 4I An Irishman recalling his familyrsquosexperience with their landlord during the Famine

Source 4J An Irishman recalling what happened inhis familyrsquos village in Co Kildare during the FamineEvictions soared from 1847

Union is Strength

John Bull to Irish farmerlsquoHere are a few things togo on with Brother andIrsquoll soon put you in a wayto earn your own livingrsquo

Source 4K Punch 17 October 1846 an English satiricalmagazine with John Bull England offering the farmer abasket of bread in one and a spade in the other

Source 4L Soup kitchen run by the Quakersproviding free soup (6800 litres a day) IllustratedLondon News 16 January 1847

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 18: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 18

The priest lsquomade a promise to Dan to take care of theldquoold womanrdquo [wife] until the five pounds came to hisldquoReverencerdquo to send her over to Americarsquo

lsquoThecrowds ofpoorpersonswhogatheredround thecorndepotswere soturbulentlyinclined asto require the interference of the police whoremained there throughout the dayrsquo

Source 4M Leaving Ireland - the priestrsquos blessingIllustrated London News 10 May 1851 Some 1mpeople left Ireland as a result of the Famine

Source 4N Sale of Indian corn imported by theBritish government Cork Illustrated London News4 April 1846

lsquoThe body of a young man is laid on a cart a secondman whips the horse into action a third stands bywith a spade onlookers gossip and argue deathstripped of all dignityrsquo

Able-bodied adultsBreakfast 8 ounces of oatmeal and Indian meal instirabout and 1 pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 12 ounces of bread or biscuits and 1 quartof pea soup for 4 days a week 10 ounces of riceand Indian meal stirabout for remaining 3Children under 15Breakfast 4 ounces of Indian meal and rice and frac12pint of buttermilk or molassesDinner 6 ounces of bread and 1 pint of pea soupfor 4 days a week 5 ounces of rice and Indianmeal and frac12 pint of buttermilk or molasses for theremaining 3 daysSupper frac14 lb of bread or biscuits and frac14 pint ofsweet-milk or molasses

Source 4O Funeral at Skibbereen Co Cork oneof the worst hit areas during the Famine IllustratedLondon News 30 January 1847

Source 4P Part of the diet in the Ballinaworkhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848

Food traders clever enough to see thatprices would rise made lsquoa whacking profitat the expense of the poorrsquo They boughtwhen prices were relatively low and soldwhen demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and soldit to retailers and relief committees forpound16 to pound17 Large farmers also did wellselling surplus food at a goodly profit

Denis McKennedy died on October 24 whileworking on a public works road in Co Cork Hehad not been paid since October 10 The post-mortem revealed death to be the result ofstarvation no food in the stomach or in thesmall intestines but in the large intestine wasa lsquoportion of undigested raw cabbage mixedwith excrementrsquo The verdict at the coronerrsquosinquest was that McKennedy lsquodied ofstarvation caused by the gross neglect of theBoard of Worksrsquo

Source 4Q Historianrsquos account of profiteeringduring the Famine

Source 4R The death of Denis McKennedySkibbereen Co Cork 24 October 1846

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 19: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 19

L42 Grid for sources

Organising idea Sourcenumber(s)

Why we think this

Caring

Ignoring

Escape

Fighting back

Making problemworse

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 20: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 20

Lesson 5

Keyquestion

Activities History NC

What canwe doaboutfamine

1 Starter How do we respond to crises such as famine and war today

2 Divide class into groups to discuss the question lsquoHow do you think youwould have responded to the potato Faminersquo

3 Using sugar paper marker pens ideas from the wordwall and any othermaterial from the preceding 3 lessons produce a visual aid (poster badgesticker logo etc) and letter to persuade people to support your response

4 Present your campaign to the class and ask them to vote on it

5 Plenary How far has your work on the Irish Famine helped you tounderstand why famines occur today and how people respond to them Option Could run a campaign to raise awareness and support for peopleexperiencing famine today

13a23a b3c4e

Citizenship11a b12b13a b c21a22 a-d23a b3e h

11 Some websitesRelief organisationsChristian AidhttpwwwchristianaidorgukOxfamhttpwwwoxfamorgukito=1482Save the PupilhttpwwwsavethepupilorgukUnited Nations World Food ProgrammehttpwwwwfporgenglishServing Our WorldhttpwwwservingourworldorgPupil in Needhttpwwwbbccoukpudseynews

Africa - generallyhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentfoodafrica_food_crisisaspxgclid=CJzy0J6BiZcCFUsa3godsiqqDACongo DRhttpwwwoxfamorgukoxfam_in_actionwhere_we_workdrcrankin_galleryhtmlhttpwwwchristianaidorgukemergenciescurrentcongoindexaspxEthiopiahttpukyoutubecomwatchv=G73zKQwlFxYhttpwwwtelegraphcouknewsworldnewsafricaandindianoceanethiopia2083074Ethiopia-facing-new-famine-with-45-million-pupil-in-danger-of-starvationhtmlSudanDarfurhttpdarfurunfpaorgjon_darfurgclid=CNLmhNWFiZcCFQLolAod4VCn-w

Source 5AA man infected bycholera which haskilled around 300

people inZimbabwe is transported to

hospital TheGuardian 25

November 2008

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 21: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 21

Note 1

Famine in IrelandThe Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by SJ Connolly OUP 1998 1-19866-240-8 185 228-9

Famine in IrelandDefinitionFamine has afflicted societies since the beginning of history It may be defined as a persistent failure in food supplies over aprolonged period It is something experienced by society whereas starvation is something that affects individuals During faminesmore people are likely to die of famine-related diseases than from starvation The causes are complex Adverse weather conditions(drought excessive rain intense cold) at crucial times effects of war (scorched earth policies the provisioning of armies disruptionof trade) pestilence and disease all these individually or in combination may be to blame

Famine is generally perceived as the result of a failure of food supplies typically arising from the Malthusian pressure of populationon resources However some analysts following the Indian economist Amartya Sen argue that famine is less commonly causedby an absolute shortage of food than by the lack of lsquoentitlementsrsquo- that is the existence of large numbers of persons who do notpossess the means either of producing food or of acquiring it through purchase or through transfer payments sanctioned by the stateor by custom Famine thus becomes a product of political and social structures rather than of neutral economic forces

Irish experienceIn Ireland over a period of six centuries from 1300 to 1900 there were up to 30 episodes of severe famine Between 1290 and 1400there were around a dozen mostly clustering in the decades before and including the Great European Famine of 1315-17 Anotherdozen or so occurred between 1500 and 1750 After 1750 there were several periods of acute regional shortages culminating inthe Great Famine of 1845-9

The famines experienced in Ireland over the centuries illustrate their nature both as event and structure Bad weather in 1294-6 and1308-10 for example damaged grain crops resulting in many deaths In 1315-17 wet weather produced devastating faminethroughout Europe exacerbated in the Irish case by Edward Brucersquos scorched earth policy Heavy rains destroyed crops in 1330-1and the price of wheat and oats rose manyfold A century later in 1433 a severe famine led to lsquothe summer of slight acquaintancersquoIn 1504-5 continual rain and storms ruined crops and cattle disease decimated livestock The 17th century was also heralded bybad weather famine and disease The rising of 1641 ravaged crops and precipitated famine Two famines in the 18th century1728-9 and 1740-1 caused great suffering The famine of 1740 is noteworthy as the first potato crisis in terms of mortality ratesit may have been greater than the Great Famine of 1845-9 The latter earns the sobriquet because it was the last and bestremembered But for lsquothis great calamityrsquo it is doubtful that Ireland would be regarded as more famine-prone than other Europeancountries

Great Famine (1845-9)Immediate causeThe Great Famine was caused by the failure in three seasons out of four of the potato crop The harvest of 1845 was one-thirddeficient In 1846 three-quarters of the crop were lost Yields were average in 1847 but little had been sown as seed potatoes werescarce In 1848 yields were only two-thirds of normal An alternative measure of the crop loss is demonstrated by the fall in potatoacreage Before the Famine it was 1 million acres falling to around a quarter of a million acres in 1847

A fungal disease Phytophthora infestans commonly called potato blight damaged the crops Its origins are unclear though birddroppings imported as fertilizer from South America have been suggested as a likely source The first region of Europe to beaffected by blight was Belgium in June 1845 Transmission to Ireland was swift the first signs appearing in September 1845

Relief measuresTo cope with the loss of a large part of the staple diet of one-third of the population relief measures were implemented by privateorganizations and by government The Society of Friends was at the forefront providing food clothing cooking equipment seedsand money Their kitchens dispensed soup in towns cities and rural districts Religious houses churches and some local gentrywere also involved in philanthropic work

Limitations on governmentrsquos responseGovernmentrsquos response to the crisis was circumscribed by a range of influences

The prevailing ideology of laissez-faire held that any tampering with market forces would bankrupt landlords and dislocatetrade There was the belief that the collapse of the potato economy provided an opportunity for agricultural reorganization throughthe consolidation of smallholdings and the removal of surplus population (For many indeed the Famine in line with the prevalentevangelical theology of the day was seen as the workings of divine providence acting to correct the ills within Irish society)

The government was also concerned to make Irish landlords meet the cost of a crisis widely blamed on their greed andnegligence and to ensure that local taxpayers did not evade their share of the burden of financing relief

As the crisis continued repetition blunted the response of the British public to reports of Irish misery Severe economicrecession in Great Britain itself during 1847 further limited sympathy for Irelandrsquos problems as did the apparent ingratitude forhelp given displayed in the return of 36 repeal MPs in the general election of 1847 and the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848

Tory amp Whig policiesIn the first year of famine 1845-6 Sir Robert Peelrsquos Tory government purchased Indian meal from America for sale fromgovernment depots and inaugurated a programme of public works managed by grand juries and the Board of Works The Whiggovernment of Lord John Russell which took office in June 1846 greatly extended the public works schemes while refusing to

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 22: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 22

interfere either in the internal market in food or in the export of agricultural produce In February 1847 ideology was at last set asideand kitchens opened throughout the country to supply cooked food directly to the starving without cost or imposition of a lsquoworktestrsquo This operation at its peak supplied 3 million meals daily From September 1847 however the government wound up the soupkitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatly expanded but still wholly inadequate workhouses run under thepoor law

DiseasesThe severity of the Great Famine is indicated by the widespread incidence of disease The potato-eating population had becomeaccustomed to a diet rich in vitamin C and quickly succumbed to scurvy Symptoms of marasmus and kwashiorkor although notidentified as such were described in the medical journals The lack of vitamin A in the famine-constrained diet was manifest inxerophthalmia - a disease causing blindness - among workhouse children

Typhus and relapsing fever were the most common diseases afflicting the weakened population Both were transmitted by thebody louse and famine conditions provided an ideal environment for spreading the infection as starving masses congregated in urbancentres searching for food Typhus affected the small blood vessels especially the brain and skin vessels which explains frequentlydescribed symptoms of delirium and stupor and the distinctive spotted rash Relapsing fever as the name implies was characterizedby numerous relapses It usually invaded its victims through the skin Popular names included lsquogastric feverrsquo and lsquoyellow feverrsquoas some patients became jaundiced

Typhus and relapsing fever were no respecters of persons afflicting rich and poor old and young though mortality amongthe rich was particularly high

DeathsIn the absence of official figures we will never know precisely how many died Neither was there systematic enumeration ofemigrants Estimates of excess mortality range from half a million to just over one million recent research supports the latter figureThe highest levels of mortality occurred in Connacht and the lowest in Leinster More died of disease than starvation the old andthe very young were particularly vulnerable

EvictionsThe pace of evictions increased during the Famine The ruthlessness of many landlords stemmed from two problems drasticreduction in rent receipts and rising taxation Experience varied from district to district Reliable figures are unavailable before1849 but in that year the constabulary recorded the eviction of over 90000 people increasing to over 100000 in 1850

LegaciesThe legacies of the Famine were several The population declined by one-fifth between 1845 and 1851 and never regained itspre-Famine level The cottier class was decimated altering the social structure of Irish society Many thousands escaped hungerby emigrating to Britain North America and Australia accelerating an outward flow already established

Longer-term causesThe immediate cause of the Great Famine was blight but there were underlying forces that had resulted in 3 million peoplesubsisting on the potato

One view would be that the disasters of 1845-9 represented the culmination of a long-term crisis resulting from rapidpopulation growth against a background of economic decline

More recently some economic historians pointing to the levelling off in population growth to the progress of newagriculturally based manufacturing industries such as brewing distilling and flour milling and to improvements in transportcommunications and banking have argued that the pre-Famine economy had not in fact lsquoground to a haltrsquo

In this perspective the failure of the potato should be seen as a massive exogenous blow dealt to an economy that had begunto adjust to changing market conditions

These contrasting perceptions are central to the debate on how far the Famine changed the course of Irelandrsquos developmentin the 19th century They also have at least an indirect bearing on the equally disputed question of whether the government of theUnited Kingdom notwithstanding prevailing ideology could have been expected to have done more to alleviate distress in a partof the worldrsquos richest nation

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 23: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 23

Note 2

What happened to the potato crop in the 1840sThe dangerThe danger was that some people became too dependent upon the potato If the potato crop failed thousands of people would facestarvation This is what happened in 1845

The blightIn 1845 disaster struck Ireland The humid summer the weather both very warm and damp provided ideal breeding conditionsfor the lsquoblightrsquo a fungus recently brought to Europe from South America on boats carrying guano a newly-popular fertiliser thedroppings of sea birds The fungus turned potatoes into a foul smelling mess only a few days after they were dug from the soilThe areas most affected were Counties Waterford Antrim Monaghan Clare Dublin Meath and Down Most families managedto survive the winter of 1845

Irelandrsquos unique experienceThe blight also affected Europe In 1845 Belgium lost a staggering seven-eights of its potato crop Where Ireland was differentwas that the blight kept returning to destroy the potato crop Drought killed the fungus in Europe but Irelandrsquos climate encouragedit In 1846 more than two-thirds of the crop was destroyed particularly in the West (Region C) Although the summer of 1847 wasdry and warm few potatoes had been planted for growth that year The summer of 1848 was again humid and the blight returnedwith crops failing in 1849 and 1851

The potato crop at the time of Famine ( = estimate)

Year Acres (000) Yield per acre Produce (000 tons)

1844 18451846 1847 1848 1849

237825161999

284810719

625400150720380560

1486210063

2999204630774024

Search for foodAs a result thousands of Irish people who had depended on the potato found themselves without their food The overriding needwas to find food To buy food people sold what they had borrowed or economised From Donegal it was reported that lsquoThe smallfarmers and cottiers had parted with all their pigs and their fowl and even their bed-clothes and fishing-nets had gone for one objectthe supply of foodrsquo

When people had no money they searched the fields for food They dug in the ground for ferns and dandelions They thenboiled roasted or crushed them with meal to make bread Children searched the woods for nuts and berries They ate the fruit oftrees - holly beech crab-apple and laurel They also ate the leaves and barks of trees

18471847 was the worst year of suffering That winter was one of the coldest and wettest in history The conditions in that year weredescribed in a Famine Diary relating the tragic personal account of the emigration from Sligo to Canada of a schoolteacher GeraldKeegan The Diary is now considered to be a work of fiction part of a nineteenth-century novel However when it was publishedin 1991 it was seen as a powerful record of the suffering endured in the Famine

The weather on the bleak cold February day is in tune with the mood and the condition of the people all over the land Wehave come to the end of our rope Famine and disease hold sway over the land People are dying so fast that their survivingrelatives are unable to bury them all Every thatched cottage and every shelter is in mourning Disease would not be claimingso many lives if it were not for the famine It is such a puzzle to me that in Ireland one of the richest agricultural lands inthe world people are dying of hunger

Was there really not enough food in IrelandIreland was genuinely short of food during the famine There were other foods besides the potato Grain continued to be exportedas did livestock including cattle sheep and pigs The sight of ships leaving Irish ports loaded with food sometimes provoked riotsHowever even if such food had been kept in the country it would not have been sufficient to feed the population Nor would ithave been possible to ensure that the food reached those who really needed it

What is true however is that a ban on grain exports late in 1846 might have reduced the suffering of the year 1847 It couldhave bridged the lsquostarvation gaprsquo between the destruction of the potato crop in August and the arrival of the first imports of maizeor Indian corn in the following winter

Who lost mostLabourers and smaller farmers were the main victims of the famine but the standards of living of most sections of society sufferedThe high price of food meant that people had not the money to spend on other things Tradesmen of all kinds lost work andlandlords lost rents

As in all disasters however some people did well Food traders clever enough to see that prices would rise made lsquoa whackingprofit at the expense of the poorrsquo They bought when prices were relatively low and sold when demand rose like the Cork merchantwho bought maize at pound1075 a ton and sold it to retailers and relief committees for pound16 to pound17

Large farmers also did well selling surplus food at a goodly profit By contrast lsquoThe small farmer is ruined he must sell his cornsell his stock at the unseasonable time because he has not fodder and therefore must leave himself penniless for the coming yearrsquoNote 3

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 24: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 24

Evictions during the Famine

Evictions soared from 1847Waves of clearances increased in the following years especially in the western counties of Clare and Mayo National figures werenot collected until 1849 but they give some idea of the scale of the campaign Between 1849 and 1854 nearly 50000 families(about a quarter of a million people) were permanently evicted from their homes

Landlord strategyLandlord strategy was ruthless The evicted were usually turned out on to the road by bailiffs supported by the police and armyCottages were lsquotumbledrsquo (pulled down) by the landlordrsquos lsquocrowbar brigadersquo and sanctions imposed on any neighbouring tenant whosheltered the evicted families At best landowners would give the evicted a few pounds compensation for peaceful surrender orallow them to carry away their thatch

A minority of Irish proprietors such as George Henry Moore MP who refused to carry out evictions on his Galway estate actedhumanely during the Famine Most however either pursued their own self-interest or were powerless to act due to the debtsmortgages and encumbrances on their estates Wealthy absentees with British resources were often in a better position to help somelike the duke of Devonshire spent lavishly but most were indifferent and left their Irish agents to deal harshly with the crisis

Fate of the evictedThe evicted who were extremely reluctant to enter the disease-ridden workhouses often sought refuge in temporary shelters erectedby the sides of roads (source 6A) until they were eventually removed by coercion desperation or death For many such as theremnants of the 150 families evicted from the Walsh estate in Erris Co Mayo who arrived as lsquoliving skeletonsrsquo to beg in Belmulletin late 1847 clearance was a sentence of execution

The records of evictions represent only a portion of those removed from their homes Very large numbers were made to surrendertheir holdings lsquovoluntarilyrsquo in order to obtain poor-law relief under the terms of the notorious lsquoquarter-acre clausersquo Manyproprietors took advantage of the situation to insist (illegally) that applicants pull down their cabins before receiving relief Smallsums would be given in compensation to those who co-operated

See Note 4 for a commentary on lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo

Source 6A lsquoAfter the ejectmentrsquo Illustrated LondonNews 16 December 1848

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 25: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 25

Note 4

Commentaries on some sources

1B lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo Illustrated London News 16 December 1848Many of the starving found themselves not only without food but also without habitation In the pre-Christmas edition of 1848The Illustrated London News published a scathing article condemning those Irish landlords who were using the current crisis tounpeople their property The two illustrations that accompanied the text The first lsquoThe Ejectmentrsquo depicted an ejection sceneand is one of the most exquisite engravings of the entire Famine collection The picture contains considerable action We see thetenant remonstrating with the bailiff seated aloft a black steed Meanwhile the bailiffrsquos men are already denuding the roof of thatchand driving away the tenantrsquos donkey Looking on are uniformed officers Their presence was intended to ensure that the bailiffwas not impeded in his duties and to discourage civil disturbance A second illustration shows the makeshift shelter along the ditchinto which the evicted tenant retreated The stance of the major figure in the picture is one of utter despair

The apparent callousness of landlords stemmed from two major problems On the one hand they suffered a drastic reductionin their incomes as tenants defaulted on rent On the other hand they were faced with rising taxation Circumstances varied fromdistrict to district Nevertheless some landlords were particularly ruthless justifying their action by the slogan lsquoevict debtorsor be dispossessedrsquo

2D lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo Co Cork Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The children gleaning stray potatoes in the empty fields are shown in rags to indicate their misery with harrowed expressions butthey are surprisingly well-muscled given that this is the third year of the Famine

lsquoBoy and Girl at Caherarsquo is perhaps the best-known famine illustration The atmosphere of the picture is of misery and despairas the two children scour a barren field in search of a potato or two that may have evaded blight and escaped the eye of previousscavengers The expression on the boyrsquos face is pained and his stance is of one starved of both food and heat His clothes andthose of the girl are ragged The girlrsquos hair is spiky and scant a sign of severe starvation On the other hand the limbs of bothchildren appear sturdy contrary to what one would expect in prolonged famine conditions

4B Mullins Hut at Scull Illustrated London News 20 February 1847The local vicar is visiting the dying Mullins in his hut Scull in Co Cork Mullins was dying of fever his children were huddledaround embers of the turf fire the vicar himself also died of fever shortly afterwards According to the magazinersquo reporter

lsquoA specimen of the in-door horrors of Scull may be seen in [a] sketch of a poor man named Mullins who lay dyingin a corner upon a heap of straw whilst his three wretched children crouched over a few embers of turf as if to raisethe last remaining sparks of life This poor man buried his wife some five days previously and was in all probabilityon the eve of joining her when he was found out by the untiring efforts of the Vicar who for a few short days saved himfrom that which no kindness could ultimately avert the dimensions of the hut do not exceed ten feet square [I] wascompelled to stand up to [my] ankles in the dirt and filth on the floor I have been lengthy in my details in order that you may be as well informed upon the subject as I can enable you to beand bearing in mind the horrifying scenes that I have just witnessed I entreat you to do the best you can for so much sufferinghumanity as this visit to the West will I trust assist in making this affliction known to the charitable publicrsquo

4C lsquoBridget OrsquoDonnell and her Childrenrsquo Illustrated London News 22 December 1849Another illustration depicting famine victims shows Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her Children and again most of its poignancy comesfrom the facial expressions and raggedness of the clothing The limbs of the mother appear particularly sturdy although the childon the left has thin legs one of which has texturing that could represent shadow or an open sore the latter a common feature amongthe severely malnourished

This pathetic group is one of the few Famine illustrations showing clear signs of emaciation and the desperation of themotherrsquos expression is well rendered

Eyewitness accounts confirm instances of extreme suffering For example Bridget OrsquoDonnell and her family subjects of anillustration already referred to were enduring not only starvation and sickness but also homelessness Prior to the food crisis herhusband was a tenant holding a small parcel of land but late in 1849 the family was evicted for non-payment of rent Bridget wasleft without a home To add to her misfortunes she was ill with fever as were her children and she was expecting another childThe child was born dead and her thirteen-year-old son died of hunger Even some hardened administrators were sometimesshocked by the scenes they saw Captain Arthur Kennedy a Poor Law inspector recounted years later how he felt at the time

I can tell you that there were days in that western county [Clare] when I came back from some scene of eviction somaddened by the sights of hunger and misery I had seen in the dayrsquos work that I felt disposed to take the gun from behindmy door and shoot the first landlord I met

4F Miss Kennedy Distributing Clothing at Kilrush Illustrated London News 22 December 1849A government officialrsquos daughter aged seven Miss Kennedyrsquos daily occupation was lsquodistributing clothing to the wretched childrenbrought around her by their more wretched parents one woman crouched like a monkey drawing around her the only rag shehad left to conceal her nudityrsquo

lsquoSo completely did the misery of the poor occupy her thoughts that she gave up her time and her own little means to relievethem She gave away her own clothes and then she purchased coarse materials and made up clothing for children her own age and she devoted herself with all the energy and perseverance of a mature and staid matron to the holy office she has undertakenThe Sketch will I hope immortalize the beneficent child who is filling the place of a saint and performing the duties of a patriotrsquo

4K lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo Punch 17 October 1846The English satirical journal Punch consistently under-estimated the severity of the crisis in Ireland and depicted the famine asa moral issue It blamed indolence of the Irish for the continuation of the famine and for lsquospongingrsquo on the British taxpayer Hardwork or industry (symbolised by a shovel) at home or emigration were Punchrsquos answers to poverty in Ireland

In the main British press coverage of the Famine was coloured by anti-Irish prejudice and political and practical

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 26: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 26

considerations The general tenor was that the Irish were a backward race and lived on inferior food - the potato they wereungrateful and disloyal Ireland was a drain on British resources and Britain was being flooded with Irish paupers Punch inparticular along with The Times lsquoreinforced traditional animosities and alienated the sympathies of the British upper and middleclassesrsquo

In lsquoUnion is Strengthrsquo John Bull (England) presents his Irish lsquobrotherrsquo not only with food but also with a spade to help himlsquoto earn your own way of livingrsquo Punch assumed that self-help was a priority and came to see Irish indolence for the continuingcatastrophe

4L The Cork Society of Friendrsquos Soup House Illustrated London News 16 January 1847Here is a well-organised Quaker soup kitchen with its servers and their elegantly dressed supervisors but where are the hungrymasses Can the soup house really have been so peaceful and unhurried with famine at the door

As Famine continued it gradually became clear that what was needed was free hot cooked food This was provided in SoupKitchens These were first set up by the Quakers but were taken over by the government in the summer of 1847 Since accordingto one official recipe almost two gallons of lsquoexcellentrsquo soup (consisting of bones peas a carrot an onion bruised celery seed saltand pepper and water) could be made for less than 5p it was a cheap and effective way of assisting deserving people As onegovernment official said

The soup system promises to be a great resource It will have the double effect of feeding the people at a lower priceand economising our meal In August 1847 three million people were being fed daily in this way It was an incredible figure considering the red-tape

involved with the issue of ration cards only to clean and unemployed families The soup prevented starvation in the dire year of1847 The Vitamin C it contained also probably helped to prevent scurvy with its ulcers and haemorrhages among the poor

4M lsquoLeaving Ireland - the Priestsrsquos Blessingrsquo Illustrated London News 10 May 1851Ireland was a different more sober and less crowded place after the famine Over a million died A further million fled from thestricken land They often left more like refugees than ordinary emigrants to seek a new life in America Australia and Britain

lsquoNone perhaps feel more severely the departure of the peasantry than the Roman Catholic clergy Yet none take a more activepart in seeing them safely out of the country my rev friend had a word of advice to Pat a caution to Nelly a suggestion toMick and he made a promise to Dan to take care of the lsquoold womanrsquo until the five pounds came to his Reverence to send herover to America he turned his moistened eyes towards heaven and asked the blessing of the Almighty upon the wanderers duringtheir long and weary journeyrsquo

4N lsquoSale of Indian Corn Corkrsquo Illustrated London News 4 April 1846To ease the food crisis the government imported Indian corn (maize) from America - enough in the first instance to feed half amillion people at a rate of 450 grams of meal a day The aim was not to feed all the people but to regulate the prince of provisionsWhen sales began in Cork depots in April 1846 lsquothe crowds of poor persons who gathered round them were so turbulently inclinedas to require the interference of the police who remained there throughout the dayrsquo

The maize was not given freely It was sold at low cost but as the Famine continued prices rose A family needed a stoneof meal a day to survive By November 1846 a stone of meal cost 15p

The maize needed to be cooked carefully - very slowly - and many people lacked the skill and utensils to do this Hunger drovesome people to eat it raw which caused health problems

4O Funeral at Skibbereen Illustrated London News 30 January 1847The body of a young man is laid on a cart a second man whips the horse into action a third stands by with a spade onlookersgossip and argue this well-observed scene shows us death stripped of all dignityThe spectre of death was brought very forcefully to the attention of the readership of the Illustrated London News both by thewritten text and the illustrations of the realities of the horrifying deaths common in every community

lsquoFuneral at Skibbereenrsquo accompanied an article on lsquoMortality in Skibbereenrsquo which gave graphic details of disease and highmortality The illustration was intended to shock Victorian England The focus of attention was the cadaver of a young man beingtransported to his grave coffinless Other more conventional funeral scenes also appeared While many died in the workhousemany more died along the roadsides and in ditches more people died from disease than from starvation [but] in some districtsdeaths from starvation were high The reporter for the paper noted that

lsquoall sympathy between the living and the dead seems completely out of the question I certainly saw from 150 to 180funerals of victims to the want of food the whole number attended by not more than 50 persons and so hardened arethe men regularly employed in the removal of the dead from the workhouse that I saw one of them with four coffins ina car driving to the churchyard sitting upon one of the said coffins and smoking with much apparent enjoymentrsquo

4P Diet in the Ballina workhouse Co Mayo 18 March 1848From September 1847 the government wound up the soup kitchens insisting that further relief should come from the greatlyexpanded but still wholly inadequate - overcrowded and often disease-ridden - workhouses run under the poor law Normally foodin the workhouse was inferior to that of the poorest labourers for cheapness and to deter people giving up employment and enteringthe workhouse However with the Famine workhouse fare was far superior to that of some millions of the population and thenumbers seeking admission escalated At the beginning of the Famine workhouses housed only 38000 but with the crisis by 1847there were over 100000 inmates

4R The death of Denis McKennedy 24 October 1846McKennedyrsquos death illustrated some of the drawbacks on the well-intentioned schemes of public works building roads andimproving farm land introduced by the British government in 1846 The theory was that people could then earn money and so buyfood The trouble was that people were often too weak from hunger or disease to do such heavy work and earn enough to buy foodwhich was rapidly rising in price A family needed a stone of meal a day which by November 1846 cost 15p A labourer on publicworks earned at most 4p a day It was not unknown for labourers to die of hunger while on public works

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 27: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

IiS KS3 Dealing with Famine 27

Note 5

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters Evidence in History We do

Be healthyPhysically healthyMentally and emotionally healthySexually healthyChoose not to take illegal drugs

Developing the ability to appreciatementally and emotionally the situationof others

By focussing on the varyexperiences in and responses tofamine

Stay safeSafe from maltreatment neglect violenceand sexual exploitationSafe from accidental injury and deathSafe from bullying and discriminationSafe from crime and anti-social behaviourin and out of schoolHave security stability and cared for

Developing a questioning disposition sopupils do not take things at face value

Challenging stereotypes and exploringthe histories of different people and theirsociety or context

The Unit challenges the image ofof people suffering from famineas hapless victims

Enjoy and achieveReady for schoolAchieve stretching national andeducational standards at primary schoolAchieve personal and social developmentand enjoy recreation

Providing opportunities to explore andvalue pupilrsquos identity and place in theworldProviding opportunities to enjoy findingout exciting and interesting experiencesof different people in the pastProviding opportunities to enjoy andreach their potential through a widerange of teaching and learningexperiences (eg drama)

By providing a Unit that is notAnglo-centric in approach andlooks at the lsquowider worldrsquo

A range of pedagogic devices areused enabling all pupils toexperience success

Make a positive contributionEngage in decision-making and support thecommunity and environmentEngage in law-abiding and positivebehaviour in and out of schoolDevelop positive relationships and choosenot to bully and discriminateDevelop self-confidence and successfullydeal with significant life changes andchallengesDevelop enterprising behaviour

Providing opportunities to workcollaboratively eg in discussionProviding an appreciation of a childrsquosplace in the wider world by exploringthe achievement of other people withintheir society and other parts of theworld

Throughout the Unit pupils workin a variety of grouping andways

The Unit challenges pupils toconfront real issues in the world

Achieve economic well-beingEngage in further education employmentor training on leaving schoolReady for employment

Providing opportunities to developliteracy and communication skills toexplore historical issues

The pupils communicate theirconclusions in a variety of waysin the Unit

Live in decent homes and sustainablecommunitiesAccess to transport and material goodLive in households free from low income

Providing opportunities for problemsolving when exploring historicalquestions

Developing critical abilities whenexamining sources such as artefactspictures etc

Problem solving is central to theactivities

The core of the Unit is tochallenge popular concepts offamine

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources

Page 28: KS3: How should we respond to Famine: Ireland in the 1840s?

Ireland in Schools19 Woodlands Road

LiverpoolL17 0AJ

Tel 0151 727 6817Email iisresourcesyahoocouk

web site httpiisresourceorgFor more free teaching amp learning resources