The Truth Behind the Irish Famine 1845–1852

In 1845, Ireland was part of the richest and most powerful nation on earth. The country was producing a surplus of food. And yet, between 1845 and 1852, more than 1.5 million Irish people starved to death while massive quantities of food were exported from their land to Britain. How did this happen? Who let it happen? And why has the full story taken so long to be told?

Kerry author Jerry Mulvihill spent three years piecing together the answer. Drawing on over 400 eyewitness accounts — from diaries, handwritten letters, newspaper reports, political speeches, and the testimony of American and German travellers who saw the horror first-hand — he has assembled what many consider the most comprehensive single-volume account of the Great Famine available today.

“The Irish people who passed away during the famine have a story that needs to be told and fully understood.” — Jerry Mulvihill

What sets this book apart is the way it lets the people of that era speak for themselves. These are not dry statistics. These are the voices of evicted families, of workhouse inmates, of journalists who reported the truth while The Times of London dismissed their accounts as exaggeration. The effect is powerful and deeply personal — the kind of reading that stays with you long after you close the cover.

The book is also strikingly visual. Mulvihill commissioned 78 original paintings from seven internationally recognised artists, each one based on real accounts and created to depict scenes that had never been accurately illustrated before — the coffin ships, the roadside evictions, the contrast between those who starved and those who profited. The artwork alone makes this an extraordinary volume to hold in your hands.

Now in its third edition, with previously unpublished sketches, oral histories, and illustrations added since the first printing, the book has drawn praise from Irish President Michael D. Higgins, former President Mary McAleese, and many others.

“The primer and most comprehensive narrative of the Irish Famine … a labour of love.” — J.C. Sullivan, book reviewer

This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what really happened during those seven devastating years — and why remembering matters. A book that belongs in every Irish home, and one we’re proud to carry here at Sneem Book Shop.

Who Is It For?

Anyone with an interest in Irish history, the diaspora story, or the human cost of political indifference. It makes a thoughtful and meaningful gift — especially for visitors to Kerry and the Ring of Kerry who want to take home something more than a souvenir. Drop into the shop or give Úna a call to reserve your copy.