the Irish Famine

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Definition

Proper noun A major historical famine that occurred in Ireland from approximately 1845 to 1852, caused primarily by a potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) that destroyed the staple food crop for a large portion of the population. The famine resulted in mass starvation, disease, and emigration.

Usage

This term is used to refer specifically to this catastrophic period in 19th-century Irish history. It is often discussed in historical, political, and social contexts. * The Irish Famine had a profound and lasting impact on Ireland's demographic and cultural landscape. * Many history courses examine the causes and consequences of the Irish Famine.

Advanced Usage
  • "The Great Famine": A common alternative name used to denote the scale and significance of the event.
    • The population of Ireland has still not recovered to its pre-Great Famine level.
  • "An Gorta Mór": The Irish-language (Gaeilge) term for the famine, meaning "The Great Hunger."
    • The memory of An Gorta Mór is deeply embedded in Irish cultural consciousness.
Variants and Related Words
  • The Great Hunger: Another synonym emphasizing the widespread starvation.
  • Potato Famine: A descriptive term highlighting the direct cause, though historians often note this can oversimplify the complex socio-political factors involved.
Synonyms
  • The Great Famine
  • The Great Hunger
  • (The) Potato Famine
Related Concepts and Phrases
  • Mass emigration: A direct result of the famine, where over a million people left Ireland, primarily for North America.
    • The Irish Famine triggered a wave of mass emigration that shaped Irish communities abroad.
  • Blight: The plant disease that ruined the potato crops.
    • The potato blight led to successive years of crop failure during the Irish Famine.
Noun
  1. a famine in Ireland resulting from a potato blight; between 1846 and 1851 a million people starved to death and 1.6 million emigrated (most to America)

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