Why were potatoes consumed so widely in Ireland?

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Sun.Riser

Ooh, I've studied this in class and I got almost the same question - my answer was:

Potatoes were and presently are, consumed widely in Ireland because excessive potatoes can grow in small spaces to feed many families, and you could stay healthy on a diet with only potatoes because they contain many nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, and Vitamin C. They were also able to grow in Irelandâ€™s cool, moist soil without much effort making them a reliable food for poor families without much land. During the potato famine, there were other crops available but because their English neighbours exported them to other countries and were too selfish to supply the Irish with their crops--such as corn-- (not even for lower prices) as they thought money to be more important then the lives of others. The philosophy of Laissez-faire meaning "let it be" led to the demise of numerous Irish families.

deburca98

It was the only food that was left to eat.
The famine was a holocaust, food was leaving irish ports daily for the uk and the rest of the world.
Basically all agricultural Land was owned by the british landlords who rented it out to native irish tenant farmers. The land rented out was very small, farmers were fourced to grow crops and raise animals to sell to pay the landlords rent, this left a small amount of land to grow for the farmers own subsistance, potatoes were better as they provided more energy and were easier to grow. so a farmer might have had other crops and animals on his farm but these had to be sold to pay rent.
The amount of food exported from ireland at this time was very high, but as the potatoe blight set in more and more farmers had to dig into the crops that were supposed to be grown for the landlords rent, eviction rates climbed and more and more farmers had to go hungry with their families as their ouly sustinance was ruined.
While this went on the british did nothing as it would have been in their intrest if the unruly irish died out

to see the effect of the famine we can look at irelands current population its current population is 4.75 million,
Before the famine it was about 8.5 million
The past ten years have seen a growth in the irish population for the first time since before the famine, so while the brits will say oh come on that was 150 years ago it is still evident as a reminder of how many people died or left the country.
The population of the UK was around 12 million in 1845, only 4 million more than ireland the population of the uk is now 50 million. There are more people of irish decent all over the world than there are living in ireland 40 million in the us alone.
Tony blair has appologised for britan turning a blind eye during the famine. it only took 150 years

devon d

Potatoes where easy to produce because potatoes can reproduce asexually. Not only could you grow potatoes for a year from one potato, but they were rather hardy and easy to maintain for the poor. Not to mention if you weren't growing potatoes, they were affordable. The soil in Ireland was also very fertile and easy to grow crops, such as potatoes, in. Potatoes are not only easy to get but they are very nutritous so poor families could consume them and get enough nutrition.

tina

the soil was in perfect condition for the growth of potatoes

jaws65

because they were a cheap food and easy to produce

an bhuil gaeilge agat?

They were introduced from America at some point - corn actually used to be like the staple. They are, despite all the hype today about carbs, very nutritious and they are efficient. Generally, the Irish were pretty poor and one acre of potatoes could feed a family of 4 for a year! wow right. Apparently living off of nothing but potatoes and butter can be a balanced diet. I didn't make this up - straight from my notes from my "social and economic change in ireland from 1780-1914" class that I took at the University of Limerick in Ireland

Just to add:
I'm not going to take a stand on this - BUT just know that there is a bit of an academic debate about whether or not the potato famine (the great subsistence crisis...haha gotta love it) was a watershed event in Irish history. Obviously loads of people died or migrated. The argument I've heard is that, generally there was some kind of natural 'check' on the population every 50 years (there had also been a famine in the 1740s or sometime in the 1700s anyway) but there hadn't been anything for 100 years so the population was growing unchecked and was actually more than the land could sustain. Kind of an evolutionary/cold view - but important to know that it's out there I think!

ALSO - I don't think the blight itself would've been so bad if they hadn't had an awful season for the few years before too - like the winters before were really cold and the crops sucked - anyway...good luck on your paper

It was easy to grow, cheap and had a variety of culinary uses. When a fungus started to affect the potatoes and turn them black and watery, the govt. did not care and continued exporting supplies that could have been used to feed the people. Many people then moved to US.

NSangel

study the land. the rich soil was perfect for the potato crop. potatoes are easy and hardy to grow.

Celtic Tigress (Donegal!)

Present tense mate, they still are!!

They're easy to produce and suit our climate

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Because you can grow them, They're easy to produce and soft to eat!

Try these, They might be a better help than me! LOL

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/pot11.html
http://www.mainerec.com/potatoes.asp?Category=201&PageNum=201

= )

SoccerPlaya

The climate (wet and cool) and soil

girlnextdoor

cause they were easy to grow and stuff.

Bill

Just like Orientals had their Rice as well as Latinos as a staple food. The Irish were able to grow Potatoes as their staple. In the late !870s or so they had a blight and destroyed the potato harvest. Today they still eat potatoes in large quantities. Ever have a boiled dinner. Corned beef, parsnips, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, turnips. Because of the rainy cool climate and little sun they only grew root crops.

Misty Blue

It was not a famine!!!!There was plenty of other food crops but the English exported them while the Irish were left to starve because the potato crop failed due to blight over a number of seasons.Did they not teach you this?

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