* Deaths between 1.0 and 1.5 Million Famine-related deaths
* Emigration: Between 1.5 and 2.0 million Irish left Ireland due to the Famine
* Evictions: Between the years 1849 and 1867 109,000 families were evicted
* Coffin Ships: 20,000 Irish died enroute to Canada
* At the peak of the famine 3 million people were fed in soup kitchens
* The potato blight was recorded in the US in 1843. It then crossed over to
Europe and hit Ireland in 1845
* By March 1847 there were nearly 750,000 Irish in work houses
* By 1806 only 4% of the land was owned by the Irish (compared to in 1600 96% of the land was owned by the Irish)
Coffin Ships: Fares to British North America ( Canada ) was less expensive than to the US because of its shorter distance and less strict passenger regulations. These coffin ships contributed to 20,000 deaths enroute in 1847, representing at least one in six who left Ireland for Canada.
Potato Crop versus grain: A family of six could be fed for a year on one acre of potatoes compared to four acres of grain.
Potato Blight: The cause of thr blight confounded European leading scientists and botonists, many theories were brought out as to the cause of the blight which included insects, fog, weather, parasites, static electricity, guano and even the Pope was blamed. An antidote was not discovered until 1882 when Alex Millardet created a mixture of copper sulphate solution.
Note: Additional Information on Irish Famine Curriculum and Memorial Sites
AN GORTA MOR
The Great Hunger
1845 -3,251,907 quarters (8 bushels=1 quarter) of corn exported from Ireland to England
1845 - 257,257 sheep exported to Britain
1846 - 480,827 swine exported to Britain
1846 - 186,383 0xen exported to England
1847 - 4,000 ships carrying peas, beans, rabbits, salmon, honey and potatoes left Ireland for English ports
1847 - 9,992 Irish cattle sent to England
1847 - 4,000 Horses and Ponies sent to England
1847 - Approximately 1,000,000 gallons of butter sent to England
1847 - Approximately 1,700,000 gallons of grain derived alcohal sent to England
1847 - 400,000 Irish people died due to starvation
No issue has provoked so much anger or so embittered relations between two countries England and Ireland as the indisputable fact that huge quantities of food were exported from Ireland to England throuhout the period when people were dying from starvation.
Grosse Isle, Quebec Quarantine Station - 10,000 Irish dead