Irish Hunger Memorial New York, NY

The Famine (in Irish An Gorta Mór) was caused by Potato Blight that affected the main food crop. The peasants, mostly Catholic, could not improve their fields or their rent would increase. They had no other crops and no other means to feed themselves. Hundreds of thousands died before the government, embarrassed into action by the Quakers and others, finally set up Soup kitchens. It took 4 months before the 1st came into existence. At the first sign of recovery all relief operations were stopped, even though the famine had not ceased. In all the famine lasted 7 years, more than 1m died in Ireland and at least another 0.5m died from disease and hunger while fleeing to America, Australia and South America.