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Quiz about An Gorta Mor  the Terrible Irish Famine
Quiz about An Gorta Mor  the Terrible Irish Famine

An Gorta Mor , the Terrible Irish Famine Quiz


The famine years of 1845-1849, altered forever not only my country, Ireland, but impacted on all English speaking countries. How much do you know about these tragic years?

A multiple-choice quiz by Fiachra. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Fiachra
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
141,168
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
12 / 20
Plays
2954
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 81 (10/20), Guest 70 (10/20), Guest 87 (10/20).
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Question 1 of 20
1. What was the approximate population of Ireland according to the 1841 census? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. Which area was the most densely populated? Hint


Question 3 of 20
3. What was 'Gavelkind'? Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. Of the eight million people in Ireland how many did NOT have regular employment of any kind? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. Which type of potato was most widely grown in Ireland at that time? Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. What was/were the first sign/s that the potato crop had failed? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. Could 'Peel's Brimstone' be eaten?


Question 8 of 20
8. What particular religious group set up soup kitchens? Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. Why is 1847 known as Black'47 Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. Was food exported from Ireland during the Famine?


Question 11 of 20
11. What was meant by 'clearing the estates'? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. What name was given to the worst ships which ferried emigrants out of Ireland? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. Sir Charles Trevelyan played a significant role in the Famine disaster, what was his official position? Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. Which country sent the 'Jamestown' and 'Macedonian' as relief ships to Ireland? Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. According to the 'Relief Works Programme', begun in 1847, work was to be _______ . Hint


Question 16 of 20
16. Those who emigrated were required to pass a medical inspection, how many patients did three doctors get through in a day? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. By 1850 what percentage of New York's population was Irish? Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. Where is Grosse Isle (aka the Irish Memorial National Historic Site)? Hint


Question 19 of 20
19. What was the estimated population of Ireland in 1851? Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. In which US city did President Mary McAleese unveil a modern monument to all those who emigrated? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What was the approximate population of Ireland according to the 1841 census?

Answer: 8.2 million

The population was probably larger as people were slow to get involved with officials taking census returns. At 8 million, it is still double the 2001 population of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland combined.
2. Which area was the most densely populated?

Answer: West

The Atlantic seaboard, comprising parts of modern Munster, Ulster and all of Connacht were the most densely populated. The vast majority depended for their living on the land. They did not possess marketable skills, and most spoke only Gaelic.
3. What was 'Gavelkind'?

Answer: Inheritance Law

This was one of the infamous "Penal Laws" of the previous century. It split up Catholic owned estates on a father's death between all his sons or daughters or next of kin. It had been designed to impoverish Catholics and 'prevent the spread of Popery'. It did just that by 1841, by when a staggering 44.9% of farms were under five acres.
4. Of the eight million people in Ireland how many did NOT have regular employment of any kind?

Answer: 2 million

In a survey of 1835, a shocking 2 million did not have regular employment. How did they live? Seasonal work on farms in Spring and Autumn and their little potato patches.
5. Which type of potato was most widely grown in Ireland at that time?

Answer: Lumpers

Lumpers are very long potatoes and will grow well in poor soil. Focusing on one variety proved a terrible mistake. A disaster was waiting to happen ...
6. What was/were the first sign/s that the potato crop had failed?

Answer: All of these

The fungus came on the crop very quickly, the stalks wilted before people's eyes, while the potatoes turned to mush in their hands and the stench was appalling.
7. Could 'Peel's Brimstone' be eaten?

Answer: Yes

Sir Robert Peel, the English PM, ordered that American corn/maize for import and sale at cost price to the starving. This was a remarkable effort in laissez-faire times. Few knew how to cook it and ate it half raw hence the name 'brimstone'. It was also called 'stir-about', as gradually people learned to make it palatable.
8. What particular religious group set up soup kitchens?

Answer: Quakers

All religious groups helped as much as they could. Ironically, the Quakers efforts back-fired in a very sad way. Wooden bowls were used for the soup, they were washed afterwards, but typhus passed on very easily from one user to the next.
9. Why is 1847 known as Black'47

Answer: All of these

Hoping for better yields extra crops were planted, but in vain. 1847 was one of the wettest/coldest years on record. The 'Gregory Clause' meant that no relief would be given to anyone who owned as much as one quarter acre of land.
10. Was food exported from Ireland during the Famine?

Answer: Yes

Ireland is a rich agricultural country, and wheat, oats, beef cattle, sheep, meat etc. were all exported under armed guard while people starved. For every relief ship that came in six went out carrying food.
11. What was meant by 'clearing the estates'?

Answer: Mass evictions

At its worst, this meant getting rid of 'surplus population'. Some landlords paid fares if their tenants wanted to emigrate, some paid fares and forced their tenants to emigrate or starve in a ditch, and some just threw their tenants off the land and did not care.
12. What name was given to the worst ships which ferried emigrants out of Ireland?

Answer: Coffin ships

A single fare to either the USA or Canada was $4.50c. and anything that could float seemed to find its way into Irish ports to make money from the crisis. The worst ships were 'Naomi' and 'Virginius', every second person died, a death rate of 52%.
13. Sir Charles Trevelyan played a significant role in the Famine disaster, what was his official position?

Answer: Permanent Secretary to the Treasury

From his desk in London he had an enormous influence on the various relief schemes and on expenditure on public works. His name has passed with loathing into Irish folklore. After a million people had died he wrote "[it's] not the physical evil of the famine, but the moral evil of the selfish, perverse and turbulent character of the people", that we have to contend with.

It was his decision to allow food to be exported under armed guard while millions starved.
14. Which country sent the 'Jamestown' and 'Macedonian' as relief ships to Ireland?

Answer: USA

These were sent by the US government laden with food and blankets to Ireland.
15. According to the 'Relief Works Programme', begun in 1847, work was to be _______ .

Answer: unprofitable

Money was paid to the workers if they could get on the scheme. 400,000 applied in Mayo county for 13,000 jobs. They built roads going nowhere, bridges where there was no river, lowered the level of a road which was perfectly adequate to begin with, etc., etc.
16. Those who emigrated were required to pass a medical inspection, how many patients did three doctors get through in a day?

Answer: 3,000

It was a farce as you can see. Most just walked in one door and out another. This had serious repercussions- in particular, fever and death at sea, quarantine on landing and understandable terror in the countries where they landed in case the fever would be passed on.
17. By 1850 what percentage of New York's population was Irish?

Answer: 26%

Most of these spoke very little English and were not used to urban life. Their physical strength was their only marketable skill which they used to good effect. They began the process of Chain Migration, whereby they built up a network of contacts and sent money home to help other family members to join them.
18. Where is Grosse Isle (aka the Irish Memorial National Historic Site)?

Answer: Canada

It is 30 miles from Quebec on the St.Lawrence River. It was once a quarantine station for emigrants and has a monument to 'those who fleeing pestilence in their own land, found in America nought but a grave'.
19. What was the estimated population of Ireland in 1851?

Answer: 6.5 million

It was two million less than 1841. The precise split will never be known, but most agree on an estimate of a million dead and a million emigrated.
20. In which US city did President Mary McAleese unveil a modern monument to all those who emigrated?

Answer: New York

The monument is in Battery Park. It is a reassambled roofless shell of a farmhouse with 32 stones, one for each county. The area is landscaped with plants that would have been common in Famine times and known for their medicinal properties. The south side faces Ellis Island, the entry point of so many to the US.
Source: Author Fiachra

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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