Essay from the year 2011 in the subject History of Europe - Newer History, European Unification, grade: unbenotet, University College Cork (School of History), course: An Introduction to Irish History, language: English, abstract: The Great Famine between 1845 and 1849 was one of the main events, if not the essential event of Irish history. Not only in the context of demographic decline that was caused by mass starvation, death and emigration. The population of Ireland nearly cut in half from c. 8 million, in 1841, to c. 4 million people around 1910. An interesting fact is also, the Great Famine marks the watershed for Irish living situation. This view is supported by Kevin O'Rourke who identifies the post-Famine development of the Irish society in the following way: 'Corresponding to this turnaround in population was a turnaround in living standards' (O'Rourke, 1995: 410). As soon as Ireland was over the years of privation, conditions of life improved rapidly. Especially the post-Famine food consumption can be linked directly to the better living standard after 1849.
