The Famine in Ireland

Essay by HossyHigh School, 10th grade May 2004

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The Famine

January 1st 1845

The sun rose in the East and Ireland began to wake up to another beautiful day. The cows and sheep in the field open their eyes, the wild flowers let out the colour of their leaves to the outside world and Patrick began to stir. Patrick King and his family, Susan (his wife), Seamus (his son) and Mary (his daughter).The sun crept across the floor resting on Patrick as well as the hay beneath him in which he made beds for his family. Some Hens crept in through the open door and investigated the new scene. Life in Ireland wasn't too complicated to many of the Irish. Nearly every one was a farmer and did all right at that as long as the Land Lord didn't kick them off his land. You were considered lucky if you had a few hens and/or a cow but not many people were fortunate to have that luxury.

Potatoes, nearly everybody grew them and for good reason at that. Potatoes had everything anybody needed in nutrition and what was left out could easily be substituted with butter milk. This was one of the secrets to good health for most Irish men even though they were dreadfully poor.

Due to subdividing, most families had very little land and even less to leave each of their children. The Irish divided their land up and give it to their children. When their children were older they would do the same. It was clear that in not to soon there wouldn't be enough land to live on. In many a cases this did happen. Either they had too little food or not enough to sell and pay the Land Lord, both led to death on the road. Yes, corpses were very common...