Since Ireland's population was excessively dependent on potatoes than any other European country, the blight created a devastating impact there. In the year 1845 about a third of the Irish crop was destroyed, by 1846 seventy five percent of the crops were destroyed. This ultimately led to food shortages and many starved. At first the government of Robert peel introduced relief measures that helped to keep the number of deaths due to starvation relatively low. They imported corn, set up a relief commission and created a public works program in order to provide employment. But by 1846 Ireland witnessed complete failure of crop and the government aslo changed. The new government of Russell, a firm believer of “ Malthusian model” not only stopped the import of foods but also terminated the relief measures and the public programmes that employed lakhs of people.
The death and migration of lakhs of Irish wasn't the result of pure lack of food because during the entire period of the famine, Ireland continued exporting food out to the other nations. There were enough cows, sheep, pigs and grains to feed the Irish people but it seemed the ruling government didn't really want to stop the starvation. Infact they considered it as “ an effective mechanism for reducing surplus population”. Since the starving population was blindly neglected, the famine only got worse. Disease of hunger like typhus , dysentery and cholera spread wildly Killin just as many people as lack of food. Ordinary people turned to mass begging, crime, prostitution and some even resorted to cannibalism.
As the news of famine spread across, the British instead of re introducing relief measures and importing foods debt a army in order to control them. Fortunately, other countries saw their needs and shiploads of food and donations finally began arriving. But these donations weren't enough to cover up the ruthless exploitations done by the British landlords and the loads of food was still not reaching to the Irish people. As a result starvation and death continues and this wiped out around 20 percent ( two million human beings) of Irish population. The impact of this could be seen even today, the Ireland's population today is lower than it was in 1840's.
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