The Famine in Donegal

Scientists could not agree what caused the potatoes to rot and turn black. They blamed the cold weather, or insects, or something in the air. It is now believed to have been a fungus, with its spores carried on the wind. If the spores were buried in the pits where potato crops were stored, they would spread again when the new seed potatoes were planted in spring. The fungus was believed to have been imported to America from South America in fertiliser and was there for sometime before spreading to Europe, Britain and Ireland.

There are different opinions of what caused the Famine in Ireland, who or what was to blame. There has been a lot written on this subject and for this reason we will not go into the Famine in detail, instead we will recommend two books which can be found in the local library.

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