The Great Hunger

Listening and note-taking: The Great Hunger

 

Introduction

 

In this talk Helen Fraser, who comes from Northern Ireland, talks about an extended  famine in Ireland in the middle of the nineteenth century. The famine is often referred to as ‘The Great Hunger’ and is regarded as a low point in relations between Britain and Ireland.

 

1.         Before you listen discuss these questions with a partner.

 

1.    What are the usual causes of famine?

 

2.    What can people / governments / international organisations do to help the

      victims of famine?

 

3.    What can the people in famine regions do to help themselves?

 

 

Helen structures her talk in the following way:

 

a)    Ireland before the famine

 

b)    The causes and effects of the famine

 

c)    Help given

 

d)    Problems with the help given

 

e)    What local people did

 

f)     A legacy of the famine.

 

 

First extract

 

            Before you listen to the first extract check that you understand these words:

 

   landlord             tenant          starvation          disease          malnutrition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.         Listen to the first extract and make notes under these headings. 

 

·         Ireland before the famine

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         The causes and effects of the famine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second extract

 

In the next extract Helen talks about the limited help the landlords and the British government gave to the starving people and she gives reasons why the help was so limited.

 

            Before you listen, check that you understand these words and phrases.

 

cottages                         evict people from their homes              absentee landlords    overpopulated            not sufficiently industrialised            racial stereotyping

Catholics and Protestants                                                                                                  

 

3.         Listen and make notes of the reasons Helen gives.  

 

·         The landlords gave little help because……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         The British government gave very limited help because….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third extract

 

In this extract Helen talks about the help that was given and the problems with that help. In other words she talks about the solutions and then evaluates the solutions.

 

4.            Listen to the extract and write notes about these solutions.  

 

Concentrate on:

 

·         How the solutions worked

 

·         What the problems were

 

 

A   Imported grain

 

 

 

 

 

B   Public works

 

 

 

 

 

 

C   Soup kitchens

 

 

 

 

 

 

D   Souperism

 

 

 

 

 

 

E   The workhouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Extract

 

In the last part of her talk Helen talks about how a lot of Irish people responded to the famine by emigrating. She also talks about the legacy of the famine.

 

            Before you listen work with a partner and answer these questions.

 

1.    What details do you think she will give about the emigration?

 

2.    What do you think the legacy of the famine might be?

 

3.    How, for example, do you think the famine might have affected relations between the British and the Irish?

 

 

5.         Listen and make notes on the emigration and the legacy.