It changed Irish society forever, most strikingly by greatly reducing the population. By mid-August 1845, it had spread to northern France and southern England; it arrived in Ireland in September, with demographic consequences which have shaped our history ever since. The fields present a space of withered black stalks. It is not known for certain when it came to Ireland. Answer Save. Nowadays, potato blight can be controlled - but it has not, as some city-dwellers might suspect, become extinct. There are about 150 species in the wild, but only one, Solanum tuberosum, is grown outside the Andes. By 1600, the potato had entered Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. Why does Ireland import 44,000 tonnes of British potatoes each year? He also became the first British smoker, using a long pipe with the tobacco in bowl. Top Answer. Routine famine almost disappeared in potato country, a 2,000-mile band that stretched from Ireland in the west to Russia’s Ural Mountains in the east. A million people are said to have died of hunger in Ireland in the late 1840s, on the doorstep of the world's richest nation. With milk and one-and-a-half acres of planted potatoes, a family could eat for a year in Ireland (Crosby, 1972). All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Eventually, agriculturalists in Europe found potatoes easier to grow and cultivate than other staple crops, such as wheat and oats. Unlike any other major crop, potatoes contain most of the vitamins needed for sustenance. Within a year, potato crops across France, Belgium and Holland had been affected and by late 1845 between one-third and one-half of Ireland’s fields had been wiped out. Ironically, the dependable potato was responsible for one of the most horrifying famines of the last 200 years. Relevance. Starving townspeople raid a potato store in Galway, in Ireland, during the Irish potato famine, on June 13, 1842. Within this species, however, more than 600 different varieties are known in Europe. 2008-03-09 20:53:44 2008-03-09 20:53:44. For the next 80 years it was grown in small numbers, mainly in Munster, as a garden crop or stand-by. It took nearly four decades for the potato to spread to the rest of Europe. 1771 – Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813), a French military chemist and botanist, won a contest sponsored by the Academy of Besancon to find a food “capable of reducing the calamities of famine” with his study o… (Image: © Photo by Illustrated London News/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The … It was also at least a hundred years after its arrival before the potato came to be accepted in any way as a food in the Mediterranean. This was especially the case with Ireland. Potatoes are very versatile vegetables. Introduction into Ireland. Aside from these remains, the potato is also found in the Peruvian archaeological record as a design influence of ceramic pottery, often in the shape of vessels. © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. What is Sir Walter Raleigh best known for? Introduced into Ireland in the mid-1700s, the potato proved to be an ideal crop for its environment. The potato is not native to Ireland, or indeed any part of Europe. By the 1800s, potatoes were a staple in the homes of Irish families. 1589 – Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), British explorer and historian known for his expeditions to the Americas, first brought the potato to Ireland and planted them at his Irish estate at Myrtle Grove, Youghal, near Cork, Ireland. The potato, which had become a staple crop in Ireland by the 18th century, was appealing in that it was a hardy, nutritious, and calorie-dense crop and relatively easy to grow in the Irish soil. The origin of potatoes is as amazing as the potato itself. This was because poorer people did not grow other types of food. By the early 1840s almost half the Irish population—but primarily the rural poor—had come to depend almost exclusively on the potato for their diet. Originally all potatoes came from South America. In the harvest of 1845, between one-third and half of the potato crop was destroyed by the strange disease, which became known as 'potato blight'. Irish potatoes are named after Ireland because they are closely associated with the Irish potato famine, a historical famine caused by a mold infestation of the Irish potato … About 1780 the people of Ireland adopted the rugged food crop. Many people died from hunger because they had no other food to eat. Many things can be made out of them, like fries and hashbrowns. But the use of potatoes gradually spread, as their excellent qualities became better understood. Services, Sea Dog Sir Walter Raleigh, Explorer: Facts, Route & History, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Hunger, began in 1845 when a fungus-like organism called Phytophthora infestans (or P. infestans) spread rapidly throughout Ireland. Wiki User Answered . After some time there was very little food other than potatoes available to the ordinary people of Ireland. The first part saw the first planting of potatoes in Ireland, while the article charts the crop’s meteoric rise as a food for the poor.Taking a longer historical perspective, this third part examines the power dynamic embedded in Irish potatoes. But the potato, like the Catholic Church, is an import to Eire—potatoes are actually Peruvian, from thousands of years back, and didn't make their way to Irish soil until the late 1600s. Where did Irish potatoes come from? did cheesy potatoes come from ireland? They were carried over to Lancashire, according to Gerarde, who had some in his garden in 1597, but only for use as a delicate dish, not as common food. If travelling by night, you would know when a potato field was near by the smell. The 1600s saw the spread of potatoes through Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, and Portugal, but people were hesitant to cook with them. The potato first made its appearance in Europe about 1570, having been brought from South America by the Spaniards. Irish Potato Blight Originated in South America By Stephanie Pappas 03 January 2017 Starving townspeople raid a potato store in Galway, in Ireland, during the Irish potato famine, on June 13, 1842. In 1536 Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru, discovered the flavors of the potato, and carried them to Europe. Scientists’ Viewpoint. Question: When did the potato come to Ireland? With milk and one-and-a-half acres of planted potatoes, a family could eat for a year in Ireland (Crosby, 1972). In the late 1800s, the modern-day russet potato was born. Irish potatoes are not Irish at all. The humble spud, we are told, is the best package of nutrition in the world, being rich in calories, minerals, vitamins and protein and virtually free of fat. They were not widely grown for almost a century until 1719, when they were planted in Londonderry, New Hampshire, by Scotch-Irish immigrants, and from there spread across the nation. It is a member, my informants also tell me, of the Solanaceae family, which includes tomatoes, aubergines and peppers. Favorite Answer. Part III in the series of articles Irish Potatoes: The Spud in Irish Food Traditions. Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in 1589 on the 40,000 acres of land near Cork. From Spain, potatoes slowly spread to Italy and other European countries during the late 1500s. Answer. The Irish Potato Famine, also called the Great Potato Famine, Great Irish Famine or Famine of 1845, was a key event in Irish history. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library. Become a Study.com member to unlock this 28 July 1586: Britain is introduced to the potato. If so, the evidence all turns upon Sir Robert Southwell's North America The plants were from Ireland, so the crop became known as the "Irish potato". Many of the potatoes were found to have gone black and rotten and their leaves had withered. For nearly 150 years, starting in the late 17th century, millions of people living in Ireland subsisted largely off one crop: the potato. In 1845 a disease called Potato Blight ruined potato crops all over Ireland. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal It had been found by Spanish conquistadors in south America in the 1500s was shipped to Europe, and reached Ireland around 1590. As a result, potatoes evolved and were bred to be larger where did the potato come from ireland or south america. Potatoes were planted in Idaho as early as 1838; by 1900 the state's production exceeded a million bushels (about 27,000 tonnes). While there's really no solid answer as to when potatoes came to Ireland, most people agree that it was introduced to the area by explorer Sir Walter... Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. 1 Answer. The only problem with potatoes is their susceptibility to disease, the worst of which, Phytophtora infestans, is known more commonly as blight. In 1810 the Cork agriculturist Horatio Townsend noted that Irish potatoes were ‘pleasant, mealy, and nourishing’ compared to the ‘watery and ill-flavoured’ varieties prevalent in England. They are also in nearly every part of the world, from South America to Ireland. The potato, from the perennial Solanum tuberosum, is the world’s fourth largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize.. At first scientist could not agree what caused the potatoes to rot and turn black. Did Irish bring potatoes to America? Traditional wisdom has it that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the crop to Ireland about 1585. The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancón (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC. please help. The potato was first planted by Sir Walter Raleigh on his estate of Youghall, near Cork, and Gough says that it was cultivated in Ireland before its value was recognised in England. All rights reserved. What was Sir Walter Raleigh's childhood like? T… As the stalks of Ireland’s potato plants began to wilt in the autumn of 1845, so did her people. A Priest in Galway wrote "As to the potatoes they are all gone - clean gone. All potatoes did not come from Ireland. The rate of growth of the fungus depends on temperature; infection from plant to plant requires a film of moisture on the leaf - the longer this film persists, the greater the opportunity for infection. Irish famine expenditures from local taxes and landlord borrowing was £8.5 million. Oscar winner to Fauci: 'Sunlight kills the virus?' Why did Sir Walter Raleigh become an explorer? Then in 1845, the potato blight hit Ireland (Crosby, 1972). 25 26 27. 1588 -An Irish legend says that ships of the Spanish Armada, wrecked off the Irish coast in 1588, were carrying potatoes and that some of them washed ashore. As a staple diet for the native population, it proved to be ideal. Create your account. Raleigh first came to the attention of Elizabeth I in 1580, when he went to Ireland to help suppress an uprising in Munster. The potatoes originally introduced to Europe were quite knobby and unlike the smooth ovals we see today that is a result of cultivators working towards that end. The potato originated from South America, specifically, the Inca grew it in what is today Peru and Bolivia, and, after the Spanish conquistadors discovered the Incan Empire in the early 1500s, they brought the potato back to Europe, where it eventually found it's way to Ireland. The bug known as the Colorado potato beetle did not devour potatoes—at first. It had been found by Spanish conquistadors in south America in the 1500s was shipped to Europe, and reached Ireland around 1590. Potato blight is a fungus, and its appearance on the crop is often a legacy transmitted by infected tubers which have survived from the previous season. Ireland's population has yet to recover from the potato blight of 1845-52. Tasty Tuber: Potatoes are very versatile vegetables. By the 1800s many of the ordinary people in Ireland needed the potato to live. Postal Service. The people of Ireland became dependent on the potato as their food and livelihood. Many things can be made out of them, like fries and hashbrowns. An Irish potato is an edible tuber from the Solanum tuberosum plant, which is actually native to South America, not Ireland. The potato, which had become a staple crop in Ireland by the 18th century, was appealing in that it was a hardy, nutritious, and calorie-dense crop and relatively easy to grow in the Irish soil. As we mentioned potatoes spread in the UK in the late 18th and early 19th century and became a staple food. Bigger is Better Although around St. Patrick’s Day, you would think potatoes all come from Ireland, they are actually American in origin. Asked by Wiki User. Space spuds were grown by NASA and China and tested aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia as early as 1995, making it the first vegetable to be grown outside Earth. As the population of Ireland grew, so did the consumption of potatoes (Crosby, 1972). Throughout Europe, potatoes were regarded with suspicion, distaste and fear. His efforts were even more significant because in his time, by the law from 1748, the cultivation of potatoes was banned. The primary reason for its acceptance in Ireland was its ability to produce abundant, nutritious food. Peru in South America, more specifically. The terrible Irish Potato Famine of 1845 killed off thousands and changed the country’s demographic forever. The potatoes were planted in his estate in Ireland, making him the first British potato planter. Namely, after Ireland ratified the Acts of Union in 1801, it became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In September 1845 a strange disease struck the potatoes as they grew in fields across Ireland. Europe would wait until the 1780's before the potato gained prominence anywhere. From Spain, potatoes slowly spread to Italy and other European countries during the late 1500s. 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Since, for some reason, people named Murphy inevitably get the nickname Spud, and potatoes are sometimes called “Murphy,” the name Spud was also applied to potatoes.However, it is more likely, and often suggested, that the nickname of Spud for … Between 1851 and 1921, an estimated 4.5 million Irish left home and headed mainly to the United States. Ireland gets an average of 60 inches of precipitation each year, in general too much for potatoes. By the early 1840s almost half the Irish population—but primarily the rural poor—had come to depend almost exclusively on the potato for their diet. The Irish Potato Famine, which in Ireland became known as "The Great Hunger," was a turning point in Irish history. It has been found that the ideal conditions for the spread of the disease are a relative humidity greater than about 90 per cent, and temperature in excess of about 10 C, both occurring simultaneously over an extended period. The people of Ireland became dependent on the potato as their food and livelihood. He was a French pharmacist who did a lot to promote potatoes as a widely accepted food. Consider the potato as a quantum tuber. However, the potato was not a native of Ireland. Potatoes dating to about 2000 BC have been found at Huaynuma, in the Casma Valley of Peru, and early potatoes dating to 800-500 BC were also uncovered at the Altiplano site of Chiripa on the east side of Lake Titicaca. Throughout Europe, potatoes were regarded with suspicion, distaste and fear. Russet potato was taken ( Mann, 2011 ) French potato also begins its journey in South by! 1588 -An Irish legend says that ships of the Spanish Armada, wrecked off the Irish coast in 1588, were carrying potatoes and that some of them washed ashore. answer! Farmers found that potatoes could grow double the food in the same land. By 1600, the potato had entered Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. In gardening books of the late 1600s, they are spoken of rather slightingly, as "food for poor people", "muched used for bread in Ireland and America" and as "food for swine or cattle". The earliest observed occurrence was on May 17th in Co Wexford, and the worst period was during the first two weeks of August, when the severe flooding in the south was followed by a spell of the warm, thundery, humid weather that makes Phytophtora so vigorously infestans. The shrubby perennials with edible tubers, grown as cool-weather annuals in rows, raised beds, or containers, are native to the South American Andes. Potatoes in Ireland: Roots of Romance. Who established a colony on Roanoke Island? 1589 – Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), British explorer and historian known for his expeditions to the Americas, first brought the potato to Ireland and planted them at his Irish estate at Myrtle Grove, Youghal, near Cork, Ireland. 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The Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes around 8,000 BC to 5,000 B.C. Potato arrived to Britain in 1585, Belgium and Germany in 1587, Austria in 1588, Ireland in 1589 and France in 1600. 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