Ireland in the 1840s - the Famine

Ireland in the 1840s

Most people were poor tenant farmers who rented land off rich landlords

Before Industrial Revolution in Britain there was a lot of domestic industry in Ireland – homemade items

Cheaper factory made imports from Britain put an end to most of this

Only place that developed industrially – area around Belfast Farms were divided up amongst farmers children – a process

known as subdivision

A rural Island

Landlords◦ Rich, Protestant, often had no interest in land, just wanted rent

Tenant Farmers◦ Poor, mostly Catholic, often had to pay high rents to landlords

Labourers (Cottiers)◦ Poorest of the poor – mostly Catholic, worked for Tenant Farmers

Three main groups in Rural Ireland

Basic Diet

Blight

Plenty food in Ireland during the Famine – Ireland exported 10,000 cattle (not to mention wheat, barley etc) during 1947 – the worst year of the famine

But poor people could only afford potatoes.....if you had no money... You starved.

No Food?

Very Slow to provide help Set up Workhouses for poor people Created Work Schemes – people put to work to earn

food Imported Indian Maize as a food stuff, many people did

not know how to cook it

The British Government Role

A Famine Work Scheme in Kildare

No dole in 1840s – people in financial difficulty had to go to a Workhouse

Created by the 1838 Poor Law Very strict, very harsh working conditions◦ Families separated◦ Two meals a day◦ Very long working hours – very hard work◦ Humiliating to have to go into a workhouse

The Workhouses

Ruins of a Workhouse

Emigration – the Coffin Ships

Results of the Famine

Across 5. dividing up farms amongst sons Down 1. Poorest of the Poor 2. Like a prison for poor people 3. Richest people in Ireland 4. Staple foodstuff for most people

2004 Higher Level Paper