The Irish Famine – causes, consequences, government blunders

The Irish Famine of the late 1840s was the single most catastrophic event in Ireland’s history. It caused a million deaths and forced another million people to emigrate, leaving their ruined homes behind them. It changed Ireland forever and cast a shadow over the country for the next 150 years. Even today, there are statues and memorials all across Ireland. The famine also had a profound effect on other countries like America, Canada, Australia and the UK because of the mass migration it caused. In America alone, 40 million people claim Irish heritage, many of them descended from victims of the famine. On one level, the famine was caused by the failure of the potato crop, but most historians now agree that the resulting tragedy was largely man made because of government incompetence and even wilful neglect. Some officials at the time even regarded the famine as God’s way of getting rid of excess population. Many people now describe the government’s approach at the time as genocide…creating the Irish holocaust. This video explores the full story of the Irish famine…it’s causes and tragic consequences, and the disastrous role played by the British government leading to the deaths of a million people, and forcing a million more to emigrate. The famine, its causes and consequences, are still widely researched and debated today, and it still evokes an emotional response among Irish people, and among those of Irish descent whose ancestors were forced to emigrate to countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK. Watch the video for the full story. Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to like, share or comment…and subscribe to our channel. Don’t forget to turn on notifications so you’ll be able to see our videos as soon as we post them. For articles and videos on Ireland, visit https://ireland-calling.com/ Facebook www.facebook.com/IrelandCalling Twitter twitter.com/callingireland Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/irelandcalling/