Liam's Irish Traditional Music - Irelands culture and tradition

From 1847, ever increasing numbers of Irish people decided to emigrate. One and a, half million people left Ireland during the famine years. In 1847 the mass emigrations were of the very poor Irish peasants, but in 1848 Irish farmers began to leave too.

During 1848 Ireland was once again in rebellion, as was the rest of Europe. All over the continent governments fell, and were replaced by representatives of the people. In Ireland a small group of radicals led a revolt against the British government, but this was unsuccessful and provoked much anger. The British government had been reluctant before to offer help for Ireland's poor, now, attitudes hardened and reprisals were stern. Troops were drafted in again to maintain order. The Young Irelanders were imprisoned and transported. Then, in 1849, after one year of healthy farming, the potato crop failed again.

The population continued to drop, as more families chose to emigrate. It is estimated that approximately two and a half million Irish people died of starvation or disease, or emigrated from 1845 to 1849. The 1851 census recorded 6,552,385 people, but this can only be an estimate, as it was impossible to record deaths accurately during the years of famine. Failure of crops continued to be a problem throughout the rest of the nineteenth century.

The movement of population, brought about social and economic changes in the way people lived in Ireland. It also created strongly anti British attitude in those who settled abroad, in Canada and America, and this was to have an important effect upon politics in the twentieth century.