2. The Great Hunger and the Logistics of Forced Migration The Great Famine was caused by a North Americanfungus transported via guano, which devastated Ireland's potato crop starting in 1845. Because half the population relied solely on potatoes for sustenance, the blight caused immediate, widespread starvation. On the Lansdowne estate, the Marquess decided to pay for the passage of 2,000 tenants to America. This was not an act of charity but a financial calculation to avoid local taxes meant to support the indigent. Survivors, often the most resilient members of their families, traveled through Liverpool to find the most affordable passage to New York. 2
1875 DUBLIN COUNTY