The Preservation of a Culture: The Gaelic League

New York, NY. Henry Holt and Company, INC. 1996 Nichols, Guild. ?The Irish Influx?. North End Boston. http://www.northendboston.com/history3.htm.

The Great Famine was historically dated from 1845-1851, although the effects of the Famine lasted until 1852 (Kelley 136). The major cause of the Famine was a disease called the blight, but there were many other aspects that caused the catastrophe in Ireland. The blight caused a catastrophic effect on the Irish peasantry. The blight is a combination of parasitic fungus and bird droppings imported as fertilizer (Kelley 136). Furthermore, the farmers did not know what a problem this fertilizer would cause, which ended up ruining all of the Irish crops.

Journey to America Story of the Irish in Antebellum America HS101 - US History to 1877 When many think of the times of immigration, they tend to recall the Irish Immigration and with it comes the potato famine of the 1840s' however, they forget that immigrants from the Emerald Isle also poured into America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The assimilation and immigration of the Irish has been difficult for each group that has passed through the gates of Ellis Island or South Boston. Like every group that came to America, the Irish were looked down upon; yet, in the face of discrimination, political, social and economic oppression, the Irish have been a testament to the American Dream as their influence in the political and business world increases with each generation. The tradition and family upbringings of the Irish culture has served as the bridge to allow the "great race" to both prosper and persevere through the hardest of times. Although Irish immigrants were mixed into and not originally part of American culture, they enriched their new country with their cultural contributions, active participation in politics, and their wealth of influential individuals.

Document created by Irish Northern Aid Inc., New York, USA. Available from: [15/2/05] Berry, Ben. (2002). Easter 1916, [Internet]. Document reproduced by University of Maryland Honours Program, Maryland, USA.

The Irish People. 25 Jan. 1997. 1 Oct. 2000 <http://larkspirit.com/bloodysunday/witness.htm>. Tompkins, Jane. “’Indians’: Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History.” in “Race,” Writing, and Difference.

The blight turned the potatoes black, making them deadly for people to eat. Problems with agriculture came to an all-time high during the famine (Foster 201), and the crop most affected by this blight was the potatoes. The cause of the potato disease was suspected to be due to many factors such as: frost, winds, moon, manure, or thunderstorms; however, the trouble was actually due to an unknown fungus (phytophthora infestans) which caused mould on the potatoes (Kee 78). The Irish had experienced blights before this, but did not cause famine; this was the first case of phytopthora infestans (Poirteir 9). The blight was a major cause of the great famine, however; many other factors attributed to the tragedy that would forever change the great country of Ireland.

“We are talking about one of the greatest tragedies Of the nineteenth century.” -Ian Gibson Irish-American. To some, this term merely designates one of the many ethnic groups which can be found in the United States; but to those who are Irish-American, it represents a people who faced a disaster of mammoth proportions and who managed to survive at great cost. The Great Hunger of 1845 changed, or more often, destroyed the lives of millions of Irish, causing them to seek refuge from poverty and starvation in other, more prosperous countries. However, not all countries would accept these victims of the Potato Famine. After an immense burst of Irish immigration to Great Britain, the British Parliament began to halt Irish migrants from entering the country.

By giving Ireland home rule they were allowed control over their religion, education, health, employment policies etc … In 1914 the British agreed to home rule. The Ulster Unionists (protestants) didn’t want home rule as they viewed themselves as separate to the Irish nation and thought th... ... middle of paper ... ...lice had gone on the rampage, and in April when the Bogsiders had barricaded themselves to stop another police invasion. Even though it may not seem to be, the Catholics feared violence from the police. The police also feared violence as they thought the Catholics would attack the Protestants ghettos of the city. For the first time to try and control the situation, the police fired CS gas into the Bogside, the gas had been used on several other occasions, but this was the first time it had been used in the UK.

Ireland: An Illustrated History. New York: Hippocrene, 1999. Print. Whyte, John Henry. Church and State in Modern Ireland, 1923-1979.

It is important to note that President DeValera was not present. It is very possible that he knew there would have to be some comprimise made and he didn’t want to make it. After heated discusions and debates the delegation w... ... middle of paper ... ...jority of cases where there is Revolution there is Civil War. As we see with history, it was almost inevitable that Ireland would experience civil war once she achieved ‘independence’. However, it was not just the history of other countries which dictated this, but also her own.