1497 | “Intolerable famine throughout all Ireland—many perished.” | 1522 | A great famine. | 1586 | Extreme famine consequent on the wars of Desmond. Human | flesh said to have been eaten. | 1588-89 | Great famine, “when one did eate another for hunger.” | 1601-03 | Great scarcity and want. Cannibalism again reported. | 1650-51 | A famine throughout the country. Sieges of Limerick and | Galway. | 1690 | Famine and disease. | 1727-29 | Corn very dear. “Many hundreds perished.” Emigration. | 1739-40 | Potatoes destroyed by frost; wheat 42 shillings per | kilderkin. | 1765 | Great scarcity; distilling and exportation of corn | prohibited by Act of Parliament. | 1822 | Dreadful famine, produced by failure of potato crop. | “While, however, the agriculturists of the continent were | suffering from an abundance, a grievous famine arose in | Ireland, showing the anomalies of her situation, | resulting either from the staple food of her population | differing from that of surrounding nations, or the | limitation of her commercial exchanges with her | neighbours. Her distresses from scarcity were aggravated | by the agrarian outrages, originating in the pressure of | tythes and rack-rents on the peasantry and small farmers. | Several of the ringleaders of these disorders were | apprehended by the civil and military power, and great | numbers executed or transported.”—Wade’s _Brit. Hist._ | | 1831 | Famine; Parliament granted £40,000 for relief; £74,410 | subscriptions in England. | 1845 | Famine; the Government expended £850,000 in relief of | sufferers. | 1846-47 | Great potato famine; Parliament advanced nearly | £10,000,000; about 275,000 persons are supposed to have | perished. The famine in the whole lasted over nearly six | years; the population became reduced by about 2,500,000. | The emigration to America was 1,180,409, and 1,029,552 | are said to have died from starvation and pestilence | consequent upon it. This is probably over-stated. It is | further said that about 25 per cent. of the emigrants | died within twelve months of leaving. The Commerce and | Navigation Laws were repealed.