Our Darkest Hour? The Forgotten Famine of 1847-48

Many histories of the Great Hunger refer to the famine ending in 1847. However in the west the catastrophe was far from over – some of the darkest chapters lay ahead as 1847 drew to a close.

This episode focuses in on Clifden, Co Galway where the famine in 1848 was arguably even worse than it had been during Black ’47. I ask who was responsible, how the British Government created the illusion (that persists to the present day) that the famine was nearing an end in 1847 and why they did this.

We also look at the brutal struggle for survival in Clifden. This saw people pushed to the extremes and break the greatest of human taboos – cannibalism.

Thanks to Aidan Crowe, Josh Clarke, Tara Lonij, Janet Johnson, Danny Burke, Caitlin White, Wayne O’Brien, Mark Laherty, Conor Lenehan, John Brennan, Sean Comiskey, Denis O’Donnell & Christopher Devine for their help in making the show.