How many people died during the Irish famine?

Answer 1

A little over 1 million people were affected and died of starvation or the diseases associated with the famine by Ireland's Great Famine of 1845. Many people in Ireland became seriously ill by attempting to eat the corn without it without it having been ground down. As a result of this, the corn sent to Ireland by Peel became nicknamed "Peel's Brimstone".

Also during the time of the famine, £1million of corn and barley were exported from Ireland to mainland Britain, along with quantities of dairy produce. This fitted in with the free trade approach of the time. Those who produced these vital products simply got a better price for them than in Ireland. Driven on by free trade, foodstuffs left Ireland - despite the fact that it was desperately needed in Ireland itself. Any initiatives in London were also hindered or simply blocked by the chief civil servant to the Treasury - Trevelyan.Trevelyan was also less than sympathetic to the Irish or their problems.

Answer 2

The Irish Famine of 1846-50 took as many as one million lives from hunger and disease, and changed the social and cultural structure of Ireland in profound ways. The Famine also spurred new waves of Immigration, thus shaping the histories of the United States and Britain as well.

I have read disturbing evidence that as many as 5 million died in what was not a famine as such but a Holocaust - there was no shortage of food, but the british sent in troops of soldiers to take the crops and bacon, etc., and these were sent to Britain - exports of food actually increased! The census for 1841 was over 10 million people - and that of 1851 just over 6 million. Allowing for natural increase, it means that 6 million have gone missing - and the victims must number about 5 million. Thomas Carlisle made it clear that the genocide of the Irish (which he supported) was the secret agenda - and that efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the starving were a mere cosmetic exercise. I think there needs to be an international tribunal to establish the facts about this and other aspects of the British terror regime in Ireland.

I'm Irish, born and bred in Ireland. All I can say about this is that we learned at school that the population was approx 8 million before the famine, and about half that after. However many people left the country aboard the coffin ships for America, or fled to England. It's impossible to say exactly how many died and how many left. Like I said that's just what they're teaching us in school here.

I would just like to follow on to a comment above by James Hussey that Gladstone had sent 100,000 pounds worth of U.S. grain for famine relief. To put his concern into perspective, in the same period the same sum -100,000 pounds - was allocated to the upkeep of Richmond Park/ Gardens in London. This to me indicates a serious lack of any panic in England about the pain and suffering in Ireland.

It is a fact easily verified through economic reports that productivity in agriculture other than in potatoes increased during that time. In fact, Ireland regularly outproduced Britain in terms of food production. We were their breadbasket.

Food was transported to the ports under armed guard as people lay dying on the roadsides with green stains around their mouths from eating grass.

There were many Landlords and English who worked very hard to alleviate the situation. The Quakers in particular did incredible work. However the British Government official policy prevented any real relief from happening. Today it would be considered a deliberate attempt to inflict genocide on the people of Ireland.

Answer 3

at school we learned that about 1 million to 2 million people died during this time

Answer 4

1,000,000 people. that was the number rounded up.

Answer 5

2 million 525 people died during the great Irish famine.

Lauren Mcardle

Answer 6

People died for various reasons but mostly because of starvation and disease. people would kill one another for food as well.

Answer 7

Starvation ,due to a fail in the potato crop.It was the staple food for the poor of the country.The crop fail was caused by the potato "blight" a disease of potato plants.

Answer 8

Over one million

Answer 9

1897