Famine in West Cork: The Mizen Peninsula Land and People 1800-1852

The early years of the nineteenth century saw a struggle throughout Ireland against ignorance, poverty and hunger; a struggle that was reflected in microcosm in the Mizen Peninsula, the southernmost tip of Ireland. The failure of the potato crop caused a minor famine in 1821, and this presaged the dark catastrophe which began when potato blight struck in 1845. Famine in West Cork presents a detailed study of the Famine, its antecedents and its aftermath in the area of West Cork. It details mortality, emigration, relief measures, religious controversy and ""souperism"". The scope of the narrative is wide, encompassing prime minister and beggar, parliament and parish, labourer and landlord. The personalities and circumstances of many of those caught up in the disaster come vividly to light.