• New emigration trends: In the 1881 census, the Irish population had fallen by over three million (or 37%) since 1841. This shows the continuation of emigration. The US and Britain were the main destinations for the Irish. Those who found steady work often paid for the rest of their family to follow them, so that entire families left Ireland for good.
1850
1900
80% or over of the people spoke Irish 50%–80% of the people spoke Irish
25%–50% of the people spoke Irish Under 25% of the people spoke Irish
The decline in the number of people speaking Irish over the five decades following the Famine CHECKPOINT!
1. How many people either died or emigrated between 1845 and 1850? 2. How did changes to farming practices contribute to continued emigration?
3. How did the British government’s actions during the Famine affect political beliefs among Irish people?
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4. Which areas of the island were hardest hit by the Famine? I understand the impact of the Great Famine on Ireland.
TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD
COLLABORATE: Work in pairs to find out Ireland’s current population. Look at the graph on page 222 and identify two decades when it matched today’s level.
