''The Irish Famine'' is a book written by

Diarmaid Ferriter Diarmaid Ferriter (born February 1972) is an Irish historian, broadcaster and university professor. He has written eleven books on the subject of Irish history, and co-authored another. Ferriter attended St. Benildus College in Kilmacud in Dub ...

and

Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín (, approximately ; born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, '' The South'', was published in 1990. '' The Blackwater Lightship'' was shortlis ...

. The book is in two volumes, the first of which was written and originally published by Tóibín in 1999. The second volume, written by Ferriter, is entitled ''The Capricious Growth of a Single Root'' and was added in 2001.

Volume One

The first volume of ''The Irish Famine'' discusses how the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

(writers, historians, government officials) have approached the task of describing and creating accounts of the Great Famine. Tóibín wrote his volume in part, for

Irish-Americans , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

; he has been critical of how the Great Famine has been taught in American schools.Deignan, Tom. ''‘An Gorta Mór’: The Great Hunger''. America Magazine. Volume 187 No. 12. 12 October 2002 He mentions that Americans are "full of emotional language, selective quotation and vicious anti-English rhetoric" and that " mericansassert, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Ireland remained a net exporter of food during the Famine."

Volume Two

The second volume of ''The Irish Famine'' is a selection of primary source documents chosen by Ferriter that pertain to the Famine and its history. Documents include: British Parliamentary Papers; Distress papers from the National Archives of Ireland; Relief Commission Papers; Society of Friends Famine Papers; reports from various Relief Committees; the Prendergast family letters; statistics from the Office of Public Works during 1845–1850; reports from County Inspection Officers; personal statements by leading religious officials; reports from the

Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

; and personal correspondence of

Richard Dowden Richard Dowden (born 20 March 1949 in Surrey, United Kingdom) is a British journalist who has specialised in African issues. Since 1975, he has worked for several British media and for the past eight years he has been the Executive Director of t ...

, the former Mayor of

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, the Lord Lieutenant, the

Duke of Leinster Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...

, Lord Cloncurry, Robert Peel, Charles Trevelyan, and John Russell, among others.

Critical response

Reviews of Ferriter's volume have been positive; '' America'' called the primary sources that Ferriter collected "fascinating and revealing." Ferriter himself, however, has said that "These documents...do nothing to settle the

amine In chemistry, amines (, ) are compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are formally derivatives of ammonia (), wherein one or more hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element wi ...

argument; instead, they establish its terms and complexity." ''The Irish Famine'', as a whole, has been well-received also; ''Read Ireland'' reviewed it as a "unique book

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

opens a door to a new and deeper understanding of the Great Irish Famine."''Read Ireland Book Review''. Issue 169
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References

External links

New Statesman reviewSocialist ReviewHistoriographical Review from Eastern Illinois University magazine
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The Spectator reviewAmerica magazine reviewBookview Ireland review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish Famine, The 2001 non-fiction books Irish non-fiction books History books about famine Works about the Great Famine (Ireland)