The potato famine of Ireland was an absolute turning point in the history of the country. Occurring in 1845 and lasting until 1852, disease destroyed the potato crop, which lead to a huge number of individuals leaving the country to avoid the risk of starving to death.
However, the surprising thing is the population of the country and the fact that it has still not recovered to the same level it was before the potato famine, which happened all of those years ago.
Before the famine, it is believed that the population of the country was in the region of anywhere between 8.5 million and 9 million. In 2017, the population of Ireland is still only approximately 4.5 million, even though it has increased in the last century. This just shows the impact that the famine had on the country, and it is still something that it has never really recovered from, at least from a population point of view.