Dylan GronsetM. VitaleBritish LiteratureApril 8, 2014Ireland's economy during the Great FamineThe Great Potato Famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1852, destroyed not only the potato crops but also the Irish economy. The famine led to job losses, a decline in gross domestic product (GDP), and many people left homeless. Ireland was in a time of despair and had to depend on help from other countries. The famine contributed to the failure of the Irish economy, but it was not the only cause. British policies and laws also contributed to the decline. “I saw the dying, the living and the dead lying indiscriminately on the same ground,” said James Mahoney, perfectly describing the Great Potato Famine. The Great Potato Famine not only brought death and agony, but also economic destruction. It was a time of great need for the Irish population, causing famine, a falling population and a declining economy. With the sharp decline in population, the economy was affected in a way that Ireland had never experienced before. The Irish people lived on potatoes and the economy was based on potatoes. When the famine struck, the Irish economy was virtually exhausted. The potato is what sustains the people of Ireland because potato farming provides jobs and income for the people and the country. With little money, families began to emigrate because they could no longer support the declining Irish economy. In the 1800s, almost a third of Ireland's population depended on potatoes. The potato was a very nutritious and easy to produce crop that could survive in very poor soil. Potato also had a very high yield on a small area of ​​land and the cost was very low, that's why potato was one of the largest...... middle of paper ... ...the majority cost with little help from England. The English essentially made the Irish an unequal territory that would save themselves from the starvation brought by trade ships from Mexico. The Great Potato Famine was a problem that not only caused starvation and disease, but also a decline in the economy. Known as the greatest epidemic of the 19th century, the potato famine will always have an impact on Ireland. The Irish were damned from the start, with little or no help from England except what they could get for themselves. With laws restricting grain trade and no regulation of other products, Ireland had no chance of turning around. With England living by the principle that "Irish property must pay for Irish poverty", Ireland needed outside help and that is exactly what many countries decided to do..