This path was created by Amanda Lundeen. 

Star of the Sea : A Postcolonial/Postmodern Voyage into the Irish Famine Main Menu About This Project Star of the Sea Overview Joseph O'Connor In this section, you will learn more about Joseph O'Connor and the other works he produced Postcolonial Theory Postmodernism The Gothic in Star of the Sea Historical Figures Language and Music in Irish Culture Biology of the Famine Landlords, Tenants, and Evictions In the following pages, you'll learn about landlords, tenants, and evictions during the Irish Potato Famine Government Policies and Emigration Media Memorials Contributors Brief biographies of the people who made this book.

Policies and Famine Relief

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“The good faith of the empire should be staked to prevent the scenes that have occurred in the west. Surely the government of the country will have to answer for the blood of the people if the relief provided by the legislature is not properly and largely administered.”
—Patrick McManus P. P. Louisburg in Freeman’s Journal, January 8th 1837
(qtd. in O’Grada 77).
 
At the same time as the famine grew worse in Ireland, there was also food scarcity and famines all over Europe. Therefore, there were limited amounts of supplies that needed to be shared amongst different nations. The crisis in Ireland started out as a series of potato crop failures; but due to the British exporting out all crops and failing to act, it turned into a full-fledged famine. By the time the British government realized it had gone too far, they had to put a relief plan together, and attempted through two different political administrations to curb the famine mortality. However, as the world watched the British government fail to help, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Go down this path and study the relief policies of the British government, and how the international society attempted to help the Irish famine situation.
 
Researcher/Writer: Ellen-Marie Pedersen
​Technical Designers: Derek Rachel and Amanda Lundeen

This page has paths:

  1. Government Policies and Emigration Dawn Duncan

Contents of this path:

  1. Irish Poor Law and Its Failure to Measure Up
  2. Robert Peel's Generous Relief Policies
  3. Russell's Relief Policies of Non-Interference
  4. Public Works: Willingly Working for Nothing
  5. Acts of the Famine Years
  6. The Temporary Use of Soup Kitchens
  7. Workhouses: Where the Paupers Crammed Together
  8. Why the British Relief Measures Failed
  9. International Relief: Where the World Stepped In
  10. Policies and Famine Relief Bibliography

This page references: