The Great Famine: Ireland's Catastrophe 1845-1852

When the potato blight arrived in Ireland in 1845, it triggered a humanitarian disaster that would change the country forever. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Great Famine—an Gorta Mór—from the blight's first appearance to the mass evictions, soup kitchens, and coffin ships that followed. They discuss the British government's laissez-faire policies under Lord John Russell and Charles Trevelyan, the cruel irony of food exports continuing from a starving nation, and the long-term demographic and cultural devastation that reduced Ireland's population by millions through death and emigration. The conversation touches on the workhouse system, the role of absentee landlords, and the enduring legacy of trauma in Irish memory. Specific figures like Trevelyan, Lord Clarendon, and the Quaker relief efforts are examined, alongside the policies that turned a natural disaster into a catastrophe. Previous episodes have covered the forgotten crisis of 1740-41 and the Young Irelander Rebellion; here they tackle the defining tragedy of 19th-century Ireland. #GreatFamine #IrishHistory #PotatoBlight #AnGortaMor #CharlesTrevelyan #CoffinShips #Workhouses #IrishEmigration #LaissezFaire #LordJohnRussell #QuakerRelief #Skibereen #Black47 #FaminePolicy #IrishDiaspora #History #FexingoHistory #19thCentury #CliffsOfMoher #CelticKnot Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo