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The potato was very important.
More than 3 million people lived on a diet which consisted of just potatoes.
Potatoes were often eaten up to three times a day in the 1800's.
In 1845, the potato became diseased and this was called 'the blight'.
Potatoes hit by the blight were rotten and smelled very bad.
The potato became soft and black.

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The Great Famine (An Gorta Mór)  (Blue Group)

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The Great Famine (An Gorta Mór)  (Blue Group)

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The famine began in 1845.
Many people died in Ireland due to the famine.
There was a disease in the potatoes called the blight.
Many people were forced to emigrate, like Bridget and her family.
It took the British Government a while to realise that Ireland badly needed help.
But the help from the British Government wasn't enough to help people to survive in Ireland, so they had to emigrate. Disease and hunger continued until 1851 in Ireland.
There was a huge decrease in the population of Ireland as a result of the Famine.
More than one million people died.
Lots of families were split up because of the Famine.

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People were forced to leave Ireland (emigrate) due to the conditions of the Famine.
More than 1.5 million people emigrated.
Many people were forced to leave their homes because they didn't have the money to pay their rent.
People were starving and they had no money to buy food. Things would only get better for them if they left Ireland.
Most people went to America and Canada.

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Coffin ships were used to bring people to America and Canada.
Conditions on the ships were horrific.
Many people died on these coffin ships, that's where the name came from.
It took months to reach the final destination.
One in every six passengers passed away aboard the ship and never reached where they wanted to go.

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Workhouses were set up for people to go if they had nowhere to stay.
Men and women/children were separated in the workhouses.
Men spent hours a day breaking stones while women did some knitting.
The families would only see each other at Sunday Mass.
The workhouses were overcrowded.
There were queues of people outside the workhouses.