Cause-Effect Essay

Topic: Cause of the Great Irish Famine.

201421552 Lee Sun Kyu

Potato is one of the most common crops which most people love. Potato
cuisines such as potato salads and scalloped potatoes make perfect harmony with
other ingredients. However, this potato caused a catastrophe which showed us a
living hell from Ireland in the mid-1850s. This was called the Irish Great Famine or
An Drochshaol. (Kinsealy, 2015) At that time, about 2 millions of Irish died from the
blight of potato. Why did this terrible disaster happen so seriously? The simple fact
which states that cause of famine happened by the potato blight must not be
enough. The reason is analyzed by three aspects; dependency on the potato, the
socio-economic structure of the Island and the initial countermeasures of the British
government.
Food production of Ireland totally depended on potatoes. Ireland did not have
various agricultural implements. (Larry, 46) So, most of Irish farmers who did not
have agricultural implements could cultivate potato. The yield of potato was efficient
per one acre land. Irish farmland was divided for tiny area per one farmer family.
Additionally, Irish farmers only had 14% arable lands of whole farmlands in Ireland.
Therefore, they needed to use the potato for overcoming their poor circumstances.
Potatoes were highly nutritious compared with other foods. Probably, many people

did not need to find substitute crops. They were just satisfied with the potato which
was described as the great plant.
The socio-economic structure of the Island was unstable and unfair. Tenant
farmers were extremely exploited by the ruling classes. It was hard for them to fight
against poverty by themselves. The Irish population increased because of early
marriage and sudden higher food production due to potato. The population of Ireland
pre-famine was over 8 million people, now it is around 4.5 million people. This
increase could not afford feeding starving families after outbreak of potato blight. The
problem could be Malthusianistic Disaster. (KH, 1950) Pure agrarian-based society
of Ireland was vulnerable to endemics. Understandably, potato blight could easily
destroy the Irish production system.
Initial countermeasures of the British government were truly insufficient and
showed an attitude of indifference. (Mark, 1998) Firstly, the British government
thought the famine as a result of the laziness of Irishmen. Thus the government did
not expand the poorhouses and facilities. (Lee, 37) Secondly, the British government
ignored the Irish famine by having a political battle between the liberal party and
conservative party. Each party had a different opinion for solving the Irish problem
and direction of aid was in a state of confusion. (Jim, 2011) Lastly, the British
government abandoned Corn Law with importing a lot of wheat to Ireland. However,
Irish could not buy this food because they had no money. They actually exported
wheat from Ireland while people were starving from a lack of food.
To sum up, the Great Irish Famine was a terrible event in European history
for many years. According to this, there were many submerged factors which brought
out tragedy. It was not only natural disaster but also an artificial and avoidable

catastrophe. The unstable Irish agricultural system killed many people of Ireland. In
addition, the cruel British government collapsed Irishmens lives to maintain control
over the island. For these reasons, we must constantly strain to make an egalitarian
society and find the fundamental cause quickly to prevent enormous calamity.

References.

1. Connell, KH. The Population of Ireland. 1750-1845. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

2. Donnelly, Jim. The Irish Famine. BBC.co.uk. British History. 2011. Web. 17
May. 2016.
3. Kinsealy, C. An Drochshaol: The Bad times New Haven: Quinnipiac University
Press, 2015. Print
4. Su Jin, Lee. (The) causes of Great Irish Famine, 1845-1849. Gyeongbuk:
Gyeongbuk University, 2005. Print
5. Thornton, Mark. What caused the Irish Potato Famine. Mises.org. The Free
Market, 1998. Web. 17 May. 2016.
6. Zukerman, Larry. (The) Potato. Seoul: Jiho, 2000. Print