Key Events- The Great Famine (1845-49)

Between 1945 and 1851, around 1 million Irish citizens died as a result of the potato blight which had hit. The extent of starvation and disease caused approximately half a million Irish people to emigrate around the world. Many in Britain sympathised with the Irish, the Queen herself, along with thousands of others, donated to volunteer relief schemes.

However, the government at the beginning was restricted by the economic and political views of the time.  

1845 

• Great Famine starts- a potato attacking fungus hits crops
• Began as potatoes were over-relied on
• Was especially bad in areas of Ireland where there was no industry and the farming was solely based on potatoes  
• All potato crops ruined 

1846 

• Lord John Russell's government gave responsibility for solving the crisis Charles Trevelyan  (the Treasury Assistant Secretary)
• Peel's government encouraged the local relief committees to be created- imported grain from Canada to sell 
• This was not a reasonable response from the government for the widespread starvation and poverty
• Provided public works programmes which gave people a means to pay for food 
• Workhouses now overcrowded
• Limited by their laissez-faire    

1847 

• 750'000 Irish people employed in public works programme
• Too large of a number for the government to manage