Life in 19th century Ireland

The extent of poverty and the issues surrounding it were well known in
the British establishment. Even a stalwart Tory like the Duke of
Wellington commented that:
"There never was a country in which poverty existed to the extent
that it exists in Ireland."

Europeans who went to rural Ireland (though they would have been few
in number) were shocked by what they saw:
"Now I have seen Ireland, it seems to me that the poorest among
the Letts, the Estonians and the Finlanders lead a life of
comparative luxury." (Kohl, a German visitor to Ireland in the early
C19th)

Ireland's population growth in the first half of the Nineteenth Century

had been great. From 1780 to 1840, Ireland's population grew at an
estimated 172%. For comparison, in mainland Britain, it is estimated to
have been at 88% in the same time period. By 1845, before the Great
Famine, the population of Ireland was 8 million.
The Greath Famine
The people of Ireland expected a good potato crop in 1845. The
weather had appeared to be favourable and in many senses, the
farming community of Ireland expected a bumper harvest. However,
when it came to digging up the potatoes were infected with Potato
Blight and all they got was a black gooey mess. In fact, the expected
bumper crop turned out to be a disaster. There was a 50% loss of
potatoes in this year. The rural community had no way of countering
this. Each family grew what they needed for that year and few had any
to keep for times of trouble. In fact, the problem got worse. The crop of
1846 was all but a total failure and there was a very poor harvest in
1847. Three disastrous years in succession presented Ireland with huge
problems.
The whole issue was not helped by the majority of landlords in Ireland
who showed no sympathy for those who worked their land. Those who
could not pay their rent were evicted despite the governments effort
to establish some form of employment in rural Ireland.
Between 1846 and 1850, the population of Ireland dropped by 2
million which represented 25% of the total population.