European Day of Languages Try to match up the Gaelic Words/Phrases with the English translation GaelicTranslation An Gorta Mor Sinn Fein Dail Eireann Conradh Na Gaeilge Erin Go Bragh Amhrán na bhFiann Sinn Féin amháin An Claidheamh Soluis Taoiseach Éirí Amach na Cásca Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Óglaigh na hÉireann The Soldiers Song Gaelic Athletic Association Ourselves Alone The Great Hunger Easter Rising Ourselves The Sword of Light Assembly of Ireland Irish Republican Army The Gaelic League Leader Ireland Forever

Outline of Famine Late summer 1845 – disease in potato harvest in west Ireland Most of Ireland affected by 1846 (3/4 of crop wiped out) Winter – Crop failure again (people face starvation and disease) Small harvest in 1847 does little to remedy situation Potato blight returns in 1848 – worst year of famine 1849 Great Famine ends

British Government and Great Famine Peel - Tory PM until 1846 Lord John Russell – Whig PM from 1846 Nationalist view of response “British government deliberately engineered the famine and failed to relieve the suffering of the Irish in order to crush their spirit and subjugate Ireland to British rule” Evidence? Inadequate response Government attitudes Sympathetic view of response “In circumstances of the time the British government’s response, though inadequate, was understandable and not malicious” Evidence? Forced landlords to provide relief Relief given – radical for time Poor Irish infrastructure hindered efforts

An Gorta Mor (‘The Great Hunger’) Impact of the Great Famine on the Irish Nationalist Movement

What caused the Great Famine? Small landholdings What was the sub-division system in Ireland? How did this lead to small landholdings? Dependence on potato crop Why did peasant families heavily rely on potatoes? Disease-human and plant When was Ireland affected by potato blight and why did this spread so quickly? Outbreaks of which diseases worsened the situation? Population growth How much had the Irish population grown in first half of 19 th century? What problem did this create for the landholding system in Ireland?

Population What does this suggest about the long-term impact of the Famine on Ireland? What impact would this have on landholding in Ireland? What would the likely effect of this be for Irish Nationalists?

Population c.1 million men, women and children died between Irish population declined from c.8 million in 1841 to c.6m in By 1900 the Irish population was ½ the size it was in 1845.

Emigration – 1.5 million emigrated – 1.5 million people emigrated (same as previous 30 years) – million emigrated. ¼ went to England and Scotland; majority went to America. Before the famine, it was mainly single, landless men who emigrated. During the Famine – whole families (mainly cottiers and labourers, plus some landlords and better-off farmers) emigrated. Emigration on ‘coffin ships’ could prove as hazardous as famine conditions in Ireland

Land Cottiers (poorer class of smallholders) were destroyed and their population fell dramatically. c.200,000 smaller farms were lost. Average landholdings increased – only 1/3 were over 15 acres in 1845, over ½ were by % of the old landlord class went bankrupt. 1850s – c.3,000 estates sold. But – most were brought by speculators or existing members of the landlord class.

Farming and Living Standards There was less concentration on potato farming and more concentration on dairy and exporting cattle. Living standards improved because wages increased. Housing standards improved as did literacy – due to urbanisation. The m/c farmer became the centre of Irish countryside – there was a 77% increase in farmers’ income and many farmers got the vote in 1850.

Had the Famine weakened or strengthened the cause of Irish Nationalism? Strengthen Irish Nationalism?Weaken or Negligible Impact?

Irish Nationalist Movement (mid-1840s to mid-1870s) 1820s & 1830s Pendulum swings away from constitutional methods by mid-1840s Why? Constitutional methods – popular and effective Unconstitutional minority – e.g.? Apathy towards Irish nationalism by majority – what proof of this?

What do these cartoons show about how important the Fenians were?

The Fenians – ‘A cry for revenge from the Famine’ Produce a poster assessing the significance of the Fenians in terms of advancing the cause of Irish Nationalism. You will need to provide arguments both for and against their significance. Use appropriate, relevant and specific evidence (as well as historians' quotations where possible) and link cartoons to the relevant point (Research: Adelman – pp 74-5; Smith – pp 22-4)

How significant was the Famine as a turning point in the changing relationship between Ireland and Great Britain? Significant? Advanced Republican movement for Irish Nationalism? Advanced constitutional movement for Irish Nationalism? Not so significant? Little change/significant barrier to constitutional movement for Irish Nationalism? Little change/significant barrier for Republican movement for Irish Nationalism? Strengthened Unionist forces opposed to change

Led to a focus on bread and butter issues and thus slowed the Nationalist movement. Irish peoples’ priorities became ‘the local, the immediate and the everyday’ (Smith) ‘Thoughts of nationality became middle class luxuries’ after the famine. (Kee) Death/ emigration eventually led to increased wages, increased literacy and better living conditions: this weakened enthusiasm for changing the relationship between GB and Ireland Political impetus for changing the relationship did not return to Ireland until the 1880s with the Home Rule movement. ‘O’ Connellite repeal politics disintegrated’ because of the famine. (Smith) The famine led to increased religious devotion in both the Catholic and Protestant communities. This increased division/ sectarianism. ‘the famine carried within itself the seeds of destruction of the United Kingdom, of Great Britain and Ireland’ (Cruise) Creation of the myth of deliberate genocide showed the ‘moral bankruptcy and inefficiency of the Union’ Famine inspired the formation of Republican groups such as the Fenians, who then went on to inspire later groups such as Sinn Fein. The Young Ireland movement, even though it failed, created the idea that Irish Independence was worth dying for i.e. the Easter Uprising in The Catholic south was more adversely affected by the famine than the Protestant north and thus created a divide between the 2 communities. ‘the Great famine affected Ulster least’ (Chapman) The famine meant that ‘Ireland largely succumbed to political apathy.’ (Adelman) The desperate state of Irish immigrants in Britain after the famine reinforced anti –Irish prejudice amongst the British public and the idea that the Irish were not capable of governing themselves. TASK 1.GET INTO PAIRS 2.SORT OUT THE BOXES ONTO THE GREAT FAMINE SIGNIFICANCE TABLE 3.ANALYSIS: WHICH WAS MORE SIGNIFICANT IN CHANGING THE RELATIONSIP BETWEEN GB AND IRELAND CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION OR THE FAMINE?