The Great Irish Famine of 184552 was the defining event in the history of modern Ireland. In proportional terms one of the most lethal famines in global history, the consequences were shocking: at least one million people died, and double that number fled the country within a decade.
The Curse of Reason is first and foremost a survey history of this great tragedy. In particular, the testimonies of four key contemporaries are used throughout to convey the immediacy of the unfolding disaster.
They are:
John MacHalethe Catholic Archbishop of Tuam John Mitchelthe radical nationalist Elizabeth Smiththe Scottish-born wife of a Wicklow landlord Charles E. Trevelyanthe assistant secretary to the Treasury
Each brings a unique perspective, influenced by who they were, what they witnessed, and what they stood for. By counter-pointing the progress of the Famine with the experiences of these four individuals, we get an intimate and compelling portrayal of these hungry years. The book shows how misguided policies inspired by slavish adherence to ideologythe curse of reasoncontributed to and worsened the effects of a natural disaster of catastrophic proportions.
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