Edited Version : Irish Culture Homework

Irish Culture : Irish resentment after The Great Famine

The most fascinating aspect of Irish culture that I learned about by watching the Story of Ireland was the strong resentment that arose against the British from the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1850). This time of starvation traumatised Ireland and its inhabitants. Some of them were bitter as they thought all the British citizens did not want to help fight hunger under Prime Minister Russel’s administration. Some English however really wanted to help the Irish. For example, Lord George Bentinck went to the Parliament in London and described the horror of the famishment in order to raise awareness among the MPs. But British writers such as Trevelyan simply asserted the Great Famine in Ireland was God’s punishment. To Irish nationalists, Trevelyan was “the voice of England” and did not care about the one million people who died. Another million and a half emigrated. Most of them sailed to North America. Among them were John O'Mahony and Michael Doheny who founded the “Fenian Brotherhood” in 1858. This organisation tried two times to invade Canada, the nearest English colony. Its first act of terrorism in England was in 1867. They also sent political and financial support to help Ireland fight English domination. In short, the Irish remained very angry at the British decades after the deadly Great Famine as they thought the British could have done more to help.