Unit 12: The Age of Daniel O'Connell and the Great Famine

Daniel O'Connell was (and still is) a hero of the Irish people.

Derrynane House, home of Daniel O'Connell.

The Great Famine (An Gorta Mor in Irish, which literally means The Great Hunger) decimated the population of Ireland. Those who died (over 1,000,000) were exclusively Irish. Those who emigrated (over 1,000,000) were exclusively Irish. The decline in population continued well into the 20th century.

"A Terrible Record," cartoon from Weekly Freeman, 2 July 1881

Readings and Activities

• Read Moody, chapters 16-17, pages 204-227
• Read Titley, Clerics and Politicians, 79-83
• Read Dunne, From Clifden to Westport (140-144), The Horrors of Famine (237-240), The Great Irish Famine (240-251), That the Science of Cartography is Limited (251-252)
• Read Arnold, pages 93-114.
• Read The Four Erins: Feminine Images of Ireland, 1780-1900 (electronic reserve)
• Consult the following helpful web sites:
  http://www.larkspirit.com/history/
  http://www.irelandstory.com/past/famine

Assignments

• List the problems in Ireland after the Act of Union.
• Why was Daniel O'Connell's Catholic Association so successful?
• Describe the fight for Catholic Emancipation and Daniel O'Connell's role. What was the outcome?
• Why was O'Connell's Repeal Association (to repeal the Act of Union) unsuccessful, even though he patterned it on the wildly successful Catholic Association? What were the positive side effects of O'Connell's efforts?
• List several of the circumstances that exacerbated the failure of the potato crop.
• The potato blight of the late 1840s was world wide, but only in Ireland was there famine. Why?
• Some historians will assert that the Famine was nature's way of controlling the population, that nothing the Irish or British authorities could do would ultimately change the outcome. Others view the Famine as manmade, believe the great loss of life could have been avoided, and cast blame in various directions. Give evidence from your reading to prove or disprove one or both extreme opinions. You'll find helpful information in these web sites: http://www.larkspirit.com/history/ and http://www.irelandstory.com/past/famine and also in the readings in Dunne. You may also find web sites of your own, if you choose (cite your sources, please).
• What do each of the "Four Erins" represent? How does the representation of Ireland add to your understanding of the history and political and social climate of Ireland?