The Great Potato Famine was a horrific event that would change Ireland forever. A fungus had attacked potato crops across Ireland. The natives were extremely dependent on potatoes and when the blight arrived, the economy collapsed. With the massive addiction to potatoes, people began to suffer from serious illnesses. Food was extremely scarce, which was a major problem for the entire population. Ireland was then under the rule of the British government; which didn't help them in any way when they desperately needed it. Relying primarily on the staple food potato, the Irish experienced great suffering when they fell ill; in turn, the way of life in Ireland was significantly altered. The famine appeared in a rather peculiar way in September 1845 when the leaves of the potato plants unexpectedly turned a sickly black and rotted; it appears to have been the result of a fog that had engulfed the lush fields of Ireland. The cause was actually an airborne fungus, initially carried in the holds of ships venturing from North America to England. Winds from southern England carried the fungus to rural areas around Dublin. The blight spread across the field as fungal spores nestled in the leaves of healthy potato plants multiplied and were picked up by the millions by cool winds from nearby vegetation (Hanagan). In extremely humid conditions, a single infected potato plant could infect thousands of people. others in just a few days. The doomed plants fermented while providing the nutrition the fungus needed to live, secreting an overpowering stench as they darkened and wrinkled before the astonished eyes of the Irish workers. There had been poor harvests in the past due to...... middle of paper...... Irish citizens had a lot of work after the famine. The people who stayed during the famine had to start again, because they lost everything when the famine came and the land was no longer useful. The original Irish language faded and out of the famine came the Fenian movement and the Gaelic League. After the disaster, the Irish aspired to show their pride by creating language courses and organizing sporting events. Similarly, the Fenian movement fought to gain Irish independence from England when it was revoked during the famine. While the Great Potato Famine was a tragedy for the Irish, it was also a demonstration of their strength and courage, as they were able to overcome difficulties. For it is a huge part of their history, which gives today's Irish people their joy and pride and many people in the United States the Irish heritage they have today..