1. Why did Irish people leave Ireland on the ‘famine ships’?

2. The Famine Ships The Irish left Ireland to find a better life. England, America and Australia. Sometimes, landlords paid their fare and promised the people that they would receive more money when they arrived at their new destination. Journeys were at least 8 weeks long and the conditions were awful. Immigrants were packed into “coffin” ships.

3. Why were they known as “coffin ships?”

4. Conditions onboard Many of the ships were privately owned and captains purposely overcrowded them in order to get more fares. Irish people were given a medical inspection before boarding the ship, but no one was ever turned away. Below decks, hundreds of men, women and children huddled together in the dark on bare wooden floors No windows No ventilation No toilets No mattresses

6. Food and Water Irish people were expected to bring their own food for the entire journey. The crew gave them one ration a day but the food was often badly prepared or not stored correctly and led to stomach cramps and diarrhea. Water usually ran out before the end of the journey and Thousands died onboard, succumbing to disease and starvation. Their bodies were thrown overboard without any religious rites Estimated over 40% of passengers died during the journey.