The Great Irish Famine

  • August: First report of potato blight in Ireland.

  • October: 1/3 of total crop is lost.

  • November: Peel orders purchase of 100,000's worth of Indian corn from the United States and establishes Relief Commission

  • December: Food prices double, and 86,900 deaths are reported by Census.

  • July: Potato crop appears healthy, parliament closes down relief committees.

  • August: Blight reappears. 3/4 of the crop lost. Emigration escalates.

  • November: Abnormally severe winter sets in. Fever and dysentery are epidemic. The society of friends (quakers) establish a relief committee.

  • December: Census reports 122,899 deaths.

  • April: Fever act passed to cope with epidemic.

  • June: Soup kitchens open

  • July: Soup distributed to 3,000,000 people daily.

  • December: Census reports 249,335 deaths.

  • July: 2/3 potato crop destroyed.

  • September: Parliament host extraordinary government relief measures.

  • November: Cholera epidemic begins

  • December: Census reports 208,252 deaths and 180,000 emigrations this year

  • June: Society of friends gives up relief work.

  • December: Census reports for the year, 240,797 deaths, 220,000 emigrations, workhouses full, and 16,686 families evicted from their homes.

  • 1850: The right to vote is extended to farmers who hold twelve acres or more. Census reports 164,093 deaths. 210,000 emigrate.

  • 1851: Census reports 96,798 deaths.

  • 1852: Census reports 80,112 deaths. Outdoor relief phased out. An estimated 250,000 emigrate.

  • 1871: Census reports the population of Ireland as 4,412,000 - half of pre-famine years.