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The Famine |
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The Great Irish Famine occurred between the years of 1845-1850. One of the most serious results of the famine was emigration. The famine itself probably resulted in about one million deaths, and the resultant emigration caused the population to drop by a further three million. Almost one million of these are estimated to have emigrated in the immediate famine period. These migrants largely ended up in North America, Britain and Australia. Between 1845 and 1855, 1.5 million people left for good. |
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In 1845, the rate of emigration was around 50,000 per year and in 1846 100,000 people left. It peaked in 1847, when 250,000 people left. Over the next 5 years it averaged 200,000 per year, before the numbers fell off. By 1855, the rate was down to 70,000 per year. In the period over the famine decade 1841-1850, 1.3 million people emigrated overseas. Of these, 70% went to the USA, 28% to Canada and 2% to Australia. The Irish emigrants travelled to these destinations by ship. Many suffered from fever, while travelling in cramped and unsanitary conditions on board what became known as the coffin ships. It is estimated that perhaps as many as 40% of lower class passengers died either en-route or immediately after arrival. The authorities in America soon realised how disease-ridden the emigrants were, so they set up quarantine centres which held the emigrants until they were deemed fit to continue. The emigration, which continued for the next century or more, had a profound effect on Ireland's demography. A strong cultural link was made between Ireland and Newfoundland in Canada. after many Irish emigrants settled there. |
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