Possible start of the Great Famine of Ireland.

The Great Famine of Ireland, also known as the Irish Potato Famine, occurred between 1845 and 1852. It was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland. The main cause of the famine was a potato blight (a disease caused by the water mold Phytophthora infestans), which devastated potato crops throughout Europe. However, the impact in Ireland was particularly severe because potatoes were the staple food for much of the Irish population, especially the rural poor.