The impact that one crop had on the world is astounding. Today 44 million American’s claim Irish ancestry along with about two million Australians and four million Canadians. In total, over 80 million people worldwide can claim Irish ancestry. Where would they be without the potato famine? The Great Irish famine of the 1840′s is now regarded as the single greatest social disaster of 19th century Europe. Between 1845 and 1850, when blight devastated the potato crop, in excess of two million people – almost one-quarter of the entire population of Ireland – either died or emigrated. Without the famine the population of Ireland would be significantly higher and, surely, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day would not have gained much popularity outside the Emerald Isle. Plus, Ireland’s famine caused a shift in land ownership and sparked the call for Irish independence.
The potato was introduced into Ireland from the Americas in the 1500s and by the 1800s it was the main source of food with the average man eating 45 potatoes a day. The potato suited Ireland’s wet, cool climate and grew in the worst soil plus with a little milk added it provided carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. The reliance on one crop meant that when the blight hit there was no other food source. The Famine Museum in Strokestown, County Roscommon, follows the history of the famine in Ireland, responses to the famine and ends with places that are suffering famine in the world today.
http://www.examiner.com/destinations-travel-in-national/what-if-there-was-no-potato-famine-ireland
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