logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
37m 18s

The Great Hunger of Ireland: Natural Dis...

SPOTIFY STUDIOS
About this episode
In the mid-19th century, British-occupied Ireland lost roughly one-third of its population during a years-long catastrophe known as “The Great Hunger” or, “The Irish Potato Famine.” In the years that followed, some have wondered if the tragedy wasn’t the result of a natural disaster, but the intentional efforts of the British government to annihilate Irish p ... Show More
Up next
Jul 15
Rewind: Area 51, S4, and the Rise of Bob Lazar
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! Its existence and location were not formally acknowledged by the government in 2013. But “Area 51” – so named for its map designation, as part of the Nevada Test Site – has been shrouded in ... Show More
1 h
Jul 8
Rewind: Marilyn Monroe
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! Marilyn Monroe has been a cultural icon since she dominated Hollywood in the 1950s. Yet, her life was filled with turmoil. She struggled with mental health, drug addiction, and heartache– p ... Show More
53m 54s
Jul 1
Rewind: The Titanic
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! First up, one of our most-requested stories: The Titanic. The “unsinkable” ship was brought down by a 6-second brush with an iceberg in April 1912. Did somebody know the world’s largest oce ... Show More
1h 2m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
236. The Great Famine: The Blight Strikes Ireland (Ep 1)
How did the memory of the Great Famine shape Irish identity? Could it have been prevented? From 1845 to 1852, a disease decimated potato crops across Ireland. Farmers of small plots who relied entirely on this monoculture were launched into complete destitution. Desperate famili ... Show More
41m 25s
Apr 2019
The Great Irish Famine
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss why the potato crop failures in the 1840s had such a catastrophic impact in Ireland. It is estimated that one million people died from disease or starvation after the blight and another two million left the country within the decade. There had been ... Show More
57m 19s
May 2025
What caused the Irish Famine?
In the 1840s, famine hit Ireland with devastating consequences. But what were the circumstances that turned a potato blight into a catastrophe that shattered societal structures and caused around a million deaths? Padraic X Scanlan speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the causes and i ... Show More
42m 57s
Nov 2021
The Irish famine: everything you wanted to know
Christine Kinealy answers listener questions on the devastating famine that struck Ireland in the mid-19th century Christine Kinealy answers listener questions on the causes and consequences of the devastating famine that struck Ireland in the mid-19th century. Speaking to Ellie ... Show More
54m 28s
Jan 2023
The Irish Potato Famine
Between 1845 and 1852, Ireland suffered an appalling famine after the repeated failure of the potato crop, its national staple. But though caused by a natural blight, a combination of ancient prejudices, simmering tensions and political short-termism turned a national emergency i ... Show More
57m 5s
Jun 2013
The Irish Potato Famine: An Unnatural Disaster, Pt. 2
<p>In the mid-1800s, the poorest people in Ireland ate almost nothing but potatoes. Other crops were for selling. So when a blight cut a swath through the potato crop, the impact was severe, and politics played a significant role in the tragedy.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ... Show More
21m 17s
Apr 2020
Crossover Week: Natural Disasters (Potato Famine Pt. 2)
If you enjoy the true stories told in Survival, check out this episode from our series Natural Disasters: By the late 1840s, with no end in sight to the potato famine gripping Ireland and no help coming from the British government, the Irish people were left with few options. For ... Show More
35m 25s
Apr 2020
Crossover Week: Natural Disasters (Potato Famine Pt. 1)
If you enjoy the true stories told in Survival, check out this episode from our series Natural Disasters: In 1845, a fungus destroyed Ireland’s potato crops, leaving the Irish population without its main food source. The first months of the famine morphed into a bureaucratic nigh ... Show More
47m 21s
Aug 2020
SYMHC Classics: Irish Famine, Part 2
The second episode in our revisit of the Irish Famine covers the mid-1800s, when the poorest people in Ireland ate almost nothing but potatoes, saving other crops for selling. So a blight, plus politics, led to tragedy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas ... Show More
19m 46s
Nov 2024
Why Didn't Irish People Eat Fish During the Great Hunger?
<p>During the Great Hunger of the 1840s, one million Irish perished from starvation and hunger-related diseases. However, Ireland is surrounded by some of the best fishing grounds in Europe. This begs the question: why didn't the Irish turn to the sea to survive?</p><p>Some have ... Show More
30m 54s