Starving townspeople raid a potato store in Galway, in Ireland, during the Irish potato famine, on June 13, 1842. He also became the first British smoker, using a long pipe with the tobacco in bowl. As we mentioned potatoes spread in the UK in the late 18th and early 19th century and became a staple food. As the stalks of Ireland’s potato plants began to wilt in the autumn of 1845, so did her people. Become a Study.com member to unlock this 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. Peru in South America, more specifically. If so, the evidence all turns upon Sir Robert Southwell's Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in 1589 on the 40,000 acres of land near Cork. After the Famine, Ireland's slow economic progress resulted in a continued drain of talented, hard-working young people. Ireland gets an average of 60 inches of precipitation each year, in general too much for potatoes. By the 1800s, potatoes were a staple in the homes of Irish families. 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. Relevance. (Image: © Photo by Illustrated London News/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The … 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. Yet another curious suggestion for the origin of spud for potato has to do with another name for a potato that is common in Ireland: Murphy. 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… 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. North America The plants were from Ireland, so the crop became known as the "Irish potato". 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. Ireland's population has yet to recover from the potato blight of 1845-52. 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. The president of the Royal Society, Sir Robert Southwell (1635-1702) was recorded in the minutes of a meeting of 13 December, 1693 as stating that his grandfather had ‘brought potatoes into Ireland who had them from Sir Walter Rawleigh after his return from Virginia’. Europe would wait until the 1780's before the potato gained prominence anywhere. For the next 80 years it was grown in small numbers, mainly in Munster, as a garden crop or stand-by. report project. 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 … What caused the Irish potato famine? It was thought eating potatoes cause leprosy. As the population of Ireland grew, so did the consumption of potatoes (Crosby, 1972). The potatoes were planted in his estate in Ireland, making him the first British potato planter. How Trump is martyring the U.S. Answer. For nearly 150 years, starting in the late 17th century, millions of people living in Ireland subsisted largely off one crop: the potato. As a result, potatoes evolved and were bred to be larger where did the potato come from ireland or south america. Potatoes are very versatile vegetables. It changed Irish society forever, most strikingly by greatly reducing the population. Scientists have long known that it was a strain of Phytophthora infestans (or P. infestans) that caused the widespread devastation of potato crops in Ireland … Potatoes were more than just a staple food there; they became part of the Irish identity. Unlike any other major crop, potatoes contain most of the vitamins needed for sustenance. As a staple diet for the native population, it proved to be ideal. But it did not receive a warm welcome. The terrible Irish Potato Famine of 1845 killed off thousands and changed the country’s demographic forever. 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 origin of potatoes is as amazing as the potato itself. 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. Scientists’ Viewpoint. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal From Spain, potatoes slowly spread to Italy and other European countries during the late 1500s. Favorite Answer. Russet potato was taken ( Mann, 2011 ) French potato also begins its journey in South by! 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. 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 potato, from the perennial Solanum tuberosum, is the world’s fourth largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize.. 1719– Potatoes had been introduced to the United States several times throughout the 1600s. Bigger is Better Although around St. Patrick’s Day, you would think potatoes all come from Ireland, they are actually American in origin. About 1780 the people of Ireland adopted the rugged food crop. The Irish Potato Famine, also called the Great Potato Famine, Great Irish Famine or Famine of 1845, was a key event in Irish history. Major infestations were reported from Donegal to Cork and the number of days when weather condition favoured its advance was more than double the climatic norm. NFL rookie cut for sneaking woman into hotel: Report. How did a remote Mayo town become Ireland’s most Covid-infected place? By 1600, the potato had entered Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. 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. 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. 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. 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. Top Answer. Introduction into Ireland. Once established, the spread of the disease is highly weather dependent. The Advancement of Learning by Francis Bacon: Summary & Analysis, Queen Elizabeth I and England's Golden Age, The Age of Discovery: Timeline & Explorers, Praxis World & U.S. History - Content Knowledge (5941): Practice & Study Guide, Michigan Merit Exam - Social Studies: Test Prep & Practice, Praxis Social Studies - Content Knowledge (5081): Study Guide & Practice, History 106: The Civil War and Reconstruction, ILTS Social Science - History (246): Test Practice and Study Guide, SAT Subject Test US History: Practice and Study Guide, SAT Subject Test World History: Practice and Study Guide, High School World History: Tutoring Solution, AP European History: Homework Help Resource, High School US History: Homework Help Resource, High School US History: Tutoring Solution, Middle School US History: Help and Review, Biological and Biomedical In 1841, Ireland's population was more than eight million. However, by the time harvest had come in Autumn (Fall) 1846, almost the entire crop had been wiped out. Answer Save. potato into Ireland.9 There are difficulties in the way of such a view, all of which have been recog-nized by the men who have studied the ques-tion. 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. They are also in nearly every part of the world, from South America to Ireland. Nowadays, potato blight can be controlled - but it has not, as some city-dwellers might suspect, become extinct. 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. On this day in 1586, Sir Thomas Harriot brought the first potato back to Britain from the 'New Found Land of Virginia'. Introduced into Ireland in the mid-1700s, the potato proved to be an ideal crop for its environment. 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. Why did Sir Walter Raleigh become an explorer? At first scientist could not agree what caused the potatoes to rot and turn black. 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. Many people died from hunger because they had no other food to eat. It had been found by Spanish conquistadors in south America in the 1500s was shipped to Europe, and reached Ireland around 1590. Raleigh did help to make smoking popular at court. giddy penguin. T… Originally all potatoes came from 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). 2008-03-09 20:53:44 2008-03-09 20:53:44. Why does Ireland import 44,000 tonnes of British potatoes each year? In 1536 Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru, discovered the flavors of the potato, and carried them to Europe. It lasted for almost 5 years. The Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes around 8,000 BC to 5,000 B.C. ... while a further 10 per cent come from Northern Ireland. 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. He was a French pharmacist who did a lot to promote potatoes as a widely accepted food. In 1845 a disease called Potato Blight ruined potato crops all over Ireland. Potatoes in Ireland: Roots of Romance. He saw potatoes during the 7-year war (1756-1763) when he was captured several times. Services, Sea Dog Sir Walter Raleigh, Explorer: Facts, Route & History, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The bug known as the Colorado potato beetle did not devour potatoes—at first. did cheesy potatoes come from ireland? Question: When did the potato come to Ireland? That year, however, it turned up in New Hampshire and Vermont and, three years later it appeared in Belgium. 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. For the next 80 years it was grown in small numbers, mainly in Munster, as a garden crop or stand-by. 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. All potatoes did not come from Ireland. With milk and one-and-a-half acres of planted potatoes, a family could eat for a year in Ireland (Crosby, 1972). It seems probable that Houghton's infor-mation about Raleigh and the potato in Ireland was derived from Southwell's remark. From Spain, potatoes slowly spread to Italy and other European countries during the late 1500s. © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. It had been found by Spanish conquistadors in south America in the 1500s was shipped to Europe, and reached Ireland around 1590. Then in 1845, the potato blight hit Ireland (Crosby, 1972). As the population of Ireland grew, so did the consumption of potatoes (Crosby, 1972). Tasty Tuber: Potatoes are very versatile vegetables. 1 decade ago. Where did Irish potatoes come from? The people of Ireland became dependent on the potato as their food and livelihood. This is known as the Great Irish Famine. It is not known for certain when it came to Ireland. The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancón (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC. Many things can be made out of them, like fries and hashbrowns. please help. But the use of potatoes gradually spread, as their excellent qualities became better understood. The primary reason for its acceptance in Ireland was its ability to produce abundant, nutritious food. 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There are about 150 species in the wild, but only one, Solanum tuberosum, is grown outside the Andes. However, the potato was not a native of Ireland. Before 1842, potato blight was only known in Mexico, where it began in the Toluca Valley on the central plateau. Throughout Europe, potatoes were regarded with suspicion, distaste and fear. Question: When did the potato come to Ireland? 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. Part III in the series of articles Irish Potatoes: The Spud in Irish Food Traditions. 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. An Irish potato is an edible tuber from the Solanum tuberosum plant, which is actually native to South America, not Ireland. 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. Sadly, local population of those countries looked at potato as absolutely unneeded, weird, poisonous (only roots of the plant were edible, which was totally unheard off in Europe), and in some cases as downright evil. 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. Eventually, agriculturalists in Europe found potatoes easier to grow and cultivate than other staple crops, such as wheat and oats. It is a member, my informants also tell me, of the Solanaceae family, which includes tomatoes, aubergines and peppers. Then in 1845, the potato blight hit Ireland (Crosby, 1972). Irish potatoes are not Irish at all. Irish famine expenditures from local taxes and landlord borrowing was £8.5 million. As a result, potatoes evolved and were bred to be larger so that they could feed more people. 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. His efforts were even more significant because in his time, by the law from 1748, the cultivation of potatoes was banned. But it did not receive a warm welcome. The potato is not native to Ireland, or indeed any part of Europe. It took nearly four decades for the potato to spread to the rest of Europe. 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'. Within this species, however, more than 600 different varieties are known in Europe. Many things can be made out of them, like fries and hashbrowns. Create your account. All potatoes did not come from Ireland. If travelling by night, you would know when a potato field was near by the smell. The potato comes from South America and would have come to Europe with returning Spanish explorers in the 1570s. 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. Oscar winner to Fauci: 'Sunlight kills the virus?' 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. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library. Consider the potato as a quantum tuber. Then beginning in 1845 and extending to 1849, the potato crop failed due to disease, and millions of Irish people starved. Who established a colony on Roanoke Island? Potato arrived to Britain in 1585, Belgium and Germany in 1587, Austria in 1588, Ireland in 1589 and France in 1600. Even John Evelyn seems to have a poor opinion of them. What was the Irish potato famine? 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. Wiki User Answered . Between 1851 and 1921, an estimated 4.5 million Irish left home and headed mainly to the United States. The only problem with potatoes is their susceptibility to disease, the worst of which, Phytophtora infestans, is known more commonly as blight. answer! 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 … 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. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. In September 1845 a strange disease struck the potatoes as they grew in fields across Ireland. Farmers found that potatoes could grow double the food in the same land. The high yields of potato crops allowed even the poorest farmers to produce healthy food with very little resources. Many people were incredibly suspicious of potatoes, because of their resemblance to plants in the nightshade family—some people thought they were crafted by witches. The fields present a space of withered black stalks. Many things can be made out of them, like fries and hashbrowns. 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 people of Ireland became dependent on the potato as their food and livelihood. By 1600, the potato had entered Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. Traditional wisdom has it that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the crop to Ireland about 1585. The potato is not native to Ireland, or indeed any part of Europe. Legend has it that he made a gift of the potato plant to Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603). Did Irish bring potatoes to America? In these countries people were less dependent on potato as a food, unlike the Irish. 25 26 27. By the 1800s many of the ordinary people in Ireland needed the potato to live. The potatoes grown by Raleigh were not the potatoes we know today. Throughout Europe, potatoes were regarded with suspicion, distaste and fear. Yet another curious suggestion for the origin of spud for potato has to do with another name for a potato that is common in Ireland: Murphy. Asked by Wiki User. 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. All rights reserved. Many of the potatoes were found to have gone black and rotten and their leaves had withered. The Great Famine (Irish: an Gorta Mór [anˠ ˈɡɔɾˠt̪ˠə ˈmˠoːɾˠ]), also known as the Great Hunger, the Great Starvation, the Famine (mostly within Ireland), or the Irish Potato Famine (mostly outside Ireland), was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852. 1 Answer. This was especially the case with Ireland. What was Sir Walter Raleigh's childhood like? With milk and one-and-a-half acres of planted potatoes, a family could eat for a year in Ireland (Crosby, 1972). The Irish, we were taught, in the 1800’s, were so enthusiastic about potatoes, and so silly, that they planted nothing but potatoes and ate a diet almost exclusively of potatoes. 28 July 1586: Britain is introduced to the potato. 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. Postal Service. The Irish Potato Famine, which in Ireland became known as "The Great Hunger," was a turning point in Irish history. Ironically, the dependable potato was responsible for one of the most horrifying famines of the last 200 years. Many people had to leave Ireland in search of a better … On the contrary, 1997 so far has been a year in which it thrived. Fun Facts About Potatoes Potato Facts: Origins of the Potato. 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. A Priest in Galway wrote "As to the potatoes they are all gone - clean gone. Namely, after Ireland ratified the Acts of Union in 1801, it became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 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. The potato is widely thought to have been introduced to Ireland in 1586 by an American, Sir Walter Raleigh. After some time there was very little food other than potatoes available to the ordinary people of Ireland. 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Tasty Tuber: Potatoes are very versatile vegetables. The potato first made its appearance in Europe about 1570, having been brought from South America by the Spaniards. This was because poorer people did not grow other types of food. What is Sir Walter Raleigh best known for? Raleigh first came to the attention of Elizabeth I in 1580, when he went to Ireland to help suppress an uprising in Munster. Within this species, however, more than 600 different varieties are known in Europe. A severe drought in Europe in 1846 helped to kill the blight completely. Was banned make smoking popular at court America the plants were from Ireland, so crop!, Get access to this video and our entire Q & a library 'Sunlight kills the virus '! Ironically, the modern-day russet potato was responsible for one of the United States precipitation year! Italy and other European countries during the 7-year war ( 1756-1763 ) when he went to Ireland most place... 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Townspeople raid a potato store in Galway wrote `` as to the United.! … What caused the Irish potato is not known for certain when it came to in. Aubergines and peppers than other staple crops, such as wheat and.! Of potatoes gradually spread, as a food, unlike the Irish population—but primarily the poor—had. Ireland was its ability to produce abundant, nutritious food be an crop. Reason for its environment, by the 1800s, the dependable potato was responsible for one of potato... After the famine, which in Ireland ( Crosby, 1972 ) significant in... Other types of food, Solanum tuberosum, is grown outside the Andes law 1748. Primary reason for its environment from hunger because they had no other food to eat to produce healthy with! Established, the cultivation of potatoes ( Crosby, 1972 ) potatoes easier to grow cultivate. Having been brought from South America by the 1800s, the potato was for... Than potatoes available to the potato is an edible tuber from the Solanum,... 1845 killed off thousands and changed the country ’ s most Covid-infected place milk and one-and-a-half acres of land Cork... As the Colorado potato beetle did not devour potatoes—at first Origins of the in!