Episode 2: 1847 to 1852

Overview

In late 1847, the famine is at its height in Ireland. A million people have died and of those who got to America, the diaspora work hard to rebuild their lives. Even so the British government decides that all further famine relief for the Irish must be paid for from rates raised in Ireland on Irish landlords. When landlords either cannot or will not pay, many evict their struggling tenants. 500,000 evictions force millions onto the roads – slums build up in cities, workhouses become overcrowded and fetid, millions emigrate. When it’s all done, one million people have died across Ireland. An entire class, the poorest, has been wiped out by death and emigration. In America, the Diaspora works hard to climb the economic ladder and in Ireland, a new generation is determined to achieve self-determination and to revive a dying culture.

Episode Information