What killed the potatoes in the Irish Potato Famine?
late blight
Great Famine, also called Irish Potato Famine, Great Irish Famine, or Famine of 1845–49, famine that occurred in Ireland in 1845–49 when the potato crop failed in successive years. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots, or tubers, of the potato plant.
Why didn’t the Irish eat something else during the famine?
Fishing and the Famine The question is often asked, why didn’t the Irish eat more fish during the Famine? Because people were starving they did not have the energy that would be required to go fishing, haul up nets and drag the boats ashore.
What mold caused the potato famine?
Phytophthora infestans
Late blight, caused by the water mold, Phytophthora infestans, destroyed the Irish potato crops in 1845 through 1849 and caused the Irish Potato Famine.
How did the British make the potato famine worse?
Potatoes were not native to Ireland, but they were prolific, nutritious and cheap. Because their cultivation required only one-third the acreage of wheat and potatoes could be easily grown and stored, the British imported the potato from America.
What caused the potatoes in Ireland to rot?
Scientists have long known that it was a strain of Phytophthora infestans (or P. infestans) that caused the widespread devastation of potato crops in Ireland and northern Europe beginning in 1845, leading to the Irish Potato Famine.
Who did the Irish blame for the famine?
The landed proprietors in Ireland were held in Britain to have created the conditions that led to the famine. However, it was asserted that the British parliament since the Act of Union of 1800 was partly to blame.
When did the Irish famine end?
1845 – 1852
Great Famine/Periods
When did the potato famine end?
How long did the potato famine last in Ireland?
When the blight returned in 1846 with much more severe effects on the potato crop, this created an unparalleled food crisis that lasted four years and drove Ireland into a nightmare of hunger and disease. It decimated Ireland’s population, which stood at about 8.5 million on the eve of the Famine.