The Great Irish Famine was the watershed event in modern Irish history and altered the character of the nation. The deaths of over one million people saw it become the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in nineteenth century Europe. A further million emigrated because of it and the physical landscape of the country was transformed in its aftermath with patterns of landholding, ownership and relationships all changing dramatically. While the victims were undoubtedly the poorest stratum amongst the cottier and labouring classes, it was something that impacted all classes in the country

It was not until the 1960s that the first scholarly account of the Famine was written and now there are innumerable books, articles and commemorations remembering the Famine. Students will be introduced to key primary sources from this period and understand how contemporaries experienced, witnessed and responded to the Famine. The course will also examine and seek to understand how a catastrophe that bordered upon medieval proportions was allowed to happen and why official responses were so underwhelming. How it was remembered in literature, art, music and folklore and the emergence of museums and various other commemorative events are all key to its wider narrative. By the end of the module, students will have learned about the inherent problems of a subsistence diet, why this was allowed to happen, the various responses to the Famine and be able to discuss the vexed issue of culpability.