What caused the Irish Famine?

History Extra podcast

Immediate Media

History

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the 1840s, famine hit Ireland with devastating consequences. But what were the circumstances that turned a potato blight into a catastrophe that shattered societal structures and caused around a million deaths? Padraic X Scanlan speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the causes and impact of the famine, linking the disaster to the economic structures of the British empire. (Ad) Padraic X Scanlan is the author of Rot: A History of the Irish Famine (Basic Books, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rot-History-Padraic-X-Scanlan/dp/1472146875/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This week's History Extra podcast is sponsored by the Royal Mint.
0:03.6	On the 8th of May, 1945, after nearly six years of war, the nation came together to celebrate
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0:33.0	VE-Heapen Day. This Sister Extra podcast is sponsored by Ancestry. On the 8th of May, 1945, peace was declared in Europe.
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	...

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