Great Famine, famine that occurred in Ireland in 1845–49 when the potato crop failed in successive years. The Irish famine was the worst to occur in Europe in the 19th century: about one million people died from starvation or from typhus and other famine-related diseases.

Death Toll: 1,500,000 Known as the “Great Famine,” the Irish Genocide (1845 – 1851) killed approximately 1.5 million from hunger and disease and another 1-2 million were displaced…

A narrrow passageway cut through the rocks at the North Quarry at Scrabo, Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The area is of great geological importance and has been designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest. (Replaced with new version - Sept 2012.)

An international team of researchers studied preserved plant samples at Kew Gardens in London and identified the HERB-1 pathogen which caused the potato famine.

Easily over-looked by the locals of Ireland, yet strangely conspicuous and peculiar to the visitor, the stone walls of southwest Ireland divide the landscape into a quilted pattern of beautiful greens, browns and occasionally yellows. Tourists and visitors often inquire about these short, unstable, beautiful walls. One may initially propose the walls serve as a division of property. Perhaps, they serve as an organizational method for various types of livestock. However, the real reason for this magnificent display of stone walls across the Irish landscape is a practical and annoyingly obvious vindication one may be embarrassed of not thinking of immediately. The rocky soil in an area on the Island of Inishmore of the Aran Islands The soil in some parts of Ireland- the southwest, for example, is very rocky by nature. The soil needed to be cleared of all the stones in order for the land to be farmed. The stones were then used to make the walls we can now see today crawling along the hills and through the valleys of Ireland. The stones found in the ground were typically carboniferous limestone, especially in areas such as Galway, Clare and the Burren. Building these walls required no special skills beyond those acquired through the passing down of generations. No mortar is involved with building these walls. The larger stones are placed on the bottom and they become smaller once you get towards to top. Each stone is fitted as carefully as possible. The walls can easily fall down and often need to be repaired. The Burren While visiting the Burren, one may wonder about the solitary walls that creep up the surrounding hills appearing to be there for no reason at all. The truth about those particular walls is dismal and heavy spirited. During the infamous Potato Famine beginning in 1845, those walls were built by starving and impoverished men working for a work scheme run by local churches and landlords who would pay in small amounts of food. The Irish are a proud people and would not receive any charity without working for it. While this was the main reason for the Famine walls, it was not the only reason. These walls also served the usual, practical purpose of ridding the local soil of the stones so the land there could be farmed. The stone walls of Ireland are a beautiful and extraordinary display of the hardworking mentality of the Irish people. They are also a breath-taking site there to remind both locals and visitors of the histories of the brilliant country in which they were built. Sources: "STONE WALLS." DOCHARA.COM . N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jul 2011. .

A small collection of old color photographs of life in Ireland in 1913.

The most significant section of Tim Pat Coogan’s book "The Famine Plot" on the Irish Famine is printing of the UN definition of genocide.

Explore Roisin Henderson's 210 photos on Flickr!

The Irish Holocaust, also known as, the Great Famine is honored in Ireland and No. Ireland with memorials to the millions of Irish that died or fled their beloved country between 1845 an 1852.

A small collection of old color photographs of life in Ireland in 1913.

A small collection of old color photographs of life in Ireland in 1913.

Irish politicians from all sides reject any backsliding toward violence.

The three children are believed to have died when a coffin ship was wrecked in 1847.

The Economist's review of a book about slavery harks back to one of the more sordid chapters in the magazine's earlier history.

Boston Irish Famine Memorial I will be in Perugia for a few days. Bye!