What could have been done to prevent the Irish Famine?
From 1846 to 1851 almost a million people died and even more emigrated because of the famine. Out of a population of eight million before the famine, almost one and a half million people emigrated. Many of those who emigrated, climbed abroad ships that were so unsafe they were commonly referred to as ‘coffin ships.’ Many more died en route to America and Canada. The poor had to fit in the spaces they could find and many ships were overcrowded and rampant with disease. It is estimated that some 100,000 people died en route to North America (Kinealy 2). The famine left a legacy of emigration that continued until recently. As many as seventy million people worldwide can claim Irish decent (Irish Diaspora). This means that not only did the famine effect Ireland, it also shaped the face of many nations.
