The Famine That Redrew Ireland's Map

The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History · Oct 22, 2026 · 11m · transcript

While we have covered the political rebellions and military engagements of Irish history, Episode 270 turns to the demographic catastrophe that fundamentally altered the nation’s trajectory: The Great Famine, known in Irish as An Gorta Mór. Between 1845 and 1852, a potato blight devastated the agricultural backbone of the western and southern provinces, leading to mass death and emigration. We explore how British laissez-faire economic policies, enforced by figures like Charles Trevelyan, exacerbated the crisis even as food exports continued from Irish ports. This episode examines the…