*The Great Hunger—also known as An Gorta Mór in Irish—refers to the devastating Irish Potato Famine that occurred between 1845 and 1852. It was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland, primarily caused by a potato blight (*Phytophthora infestans) that destroyed the primary food source for a large portion of the population.

### Key Facts About the Great Hunger:

#### 📉 *Causes

*Potato Dependency: A third of the Irish population relied almost entirely on potatoes for nutrition.

*Blight: The potato crop failed multiple years in a row due to a fungal disease.

*British Government Response: British policies at the time are widely criticized for being inadequate, indifferent, and sometimes even exacerbating the crisis. Food continued to be exported from Ireland during the famine.

#### 🧍‍♂️ Impact on Population

*Death Toll: Approximately 1 million people died from starvation and related diseases.

*Emigration: Another 1–2 million people emigrated, mostly to the United States, Canada, and Britain.

*Population Decline: Ireland’s population dropped by about 25%, and it has never returned to pre-famine levels.

#### 🇬🇧 Colonial Context

Ireland was under British rule at the time. The famine highlighted and intensified Irish resentment toward British governance and contributed to future calls for independence.

#### 🎭 *Cultural Legacy

The famine deeply scarred the Irish national consciousness and has been depicted in art, literature, and music. It is commemorated in Ireland and by the Irish diaspora worldwide.

#### 📚 Notable Works

*The Great Hunger (1942) by *Patrick Kavanagh: A poem that reflects on rural Irish life and themes of isolation and deprivation (not about the famine itself, despite the title).

Many historians, such as *Tim Pat Coogan*, have written in-depth accounts and analyses of the famine and its long-term effects.