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Brits not responsible for "famine" shock!

  • 13-04-2003 10:45am
    #1
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭


    New research on the causes of the deaths of a million in the mid-19th century has concluded that starvation was a very minor part of the picture. A UCD sponsored
    programme has concluded that most died as a result of cholera, consumption, fever and other conditions which were pretty common among the poor in most countires in the era before widespead clean living conditions.

    Unfortunatly I cant find any links to the papers at this point.

    Mike.


Comments

  • #2
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,580 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    "cholera, consumption, fever and other conditions" are all secondary symptoms associated with (a) poverty (b) starvation. While you may not necessarily blame the "Brits", you can blame (a) the establishment (which was often Brtitish by name) and (b) the local and central UK government at the time for both contributing to the cause of the famine and an inadequate response.

    BTW the reason Ballsbridge and Rathmines have town halls is because they were town formed for the rich, to the exclusion of the city poor. At the time, the main part of the social infrastructure was the poorhouse system, run by local authorities and funded by rates (local taxes, primarily based on the value of a property). These new “rich” towns could impose lowers rates as they didn’t need to support large numbers (i.e. their fair share) of the poor.


  • #3
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Originally posted by Victor
    "cholera, consumption, fever and other conditions" are all secondary symptoms associated with (a) poverty (b) starvation.

    I should have mentioned that primary symptoms connection to starvation such as diarrhea were not very widespead. Poverty was of course widspread in all
    countries...

    Mike.

    ps Now that we have a history/heritage board maybe this should be moved...


  • #4
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,580 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Originally posted by mike65
    I should have mentioned that primary symptoms connection to starvation such as diarrhea were not very widespead. Poverty was of course widspread in all countries...
    But IIRC Ireland was the only place in (western?) Europe to suffer a major famine during the 19th century.


  • #5
    Executive Steve
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,373 ✭✭✭Executive Steve


    and it certainly fits with our "poor old downtrodden green eire" image doesnt it? even if it wasnt true it'd be neccesary to invent it...


This discussion has been closed.
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