An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, is one of the most dramatic events in Irish history. From 1845 to 1852, an entire nation was overwhelmed by an unprecedented famine, caused by an unseen enemy: Phytophthora infestans, a fungus-like microrganism that infected the potato crops, the staple food of the poorest people. In a few years, starvation and disease led to the deaths of over a million people. At least two million Irish were forced to emigrate, resulting in a diaspora that changed Ireland's demography and culture forever. How did this microrganism reach the island? Why did the famine take on such devastating dimensions at that very time? Was it just a natural catastrophe or was there also political and economic responsibility? And most importantly, could something similar happen today? Through scientific and historical analysis, this lecture will track the causes of the Great Famine, investigating the role of potato monoculture, the social conditions of Ireland under British rule and the government's responses (or lack of responses) at the time. The long-term impacts of this tragic event will be explored: from the massive emigration to the United States and Australia, to the deep wounds left in the collective memory of Irish people. We will have the chance be admire the moving drawings of James Mahoney, an artist and journalist who recorded with stark realism the suffering of Irish people, the devastated villages and the dead bodies laying along the roads. We will also uncover the controversial figures of the soupers, who offered food to the desperate, but only under a precise condition: they would have to abjure their Catholic faith and convert to Protestantism. A journey through science, history and humanity to understand the genesis of one of the greatest food crises of modern times and to learn lessons we can draw for the future. The event is curated by Matteo Ruzzon, naturalist and technician at the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences.
