In Conclusion
The Great Potato Famine is a well-known event in Irish history, as is Ireland's notorious mass emigration. The effects of the Famine on Ireland's demographic history are significant, since this event triggered a century of population decline and therefore served as a turning point in Ireland's unprecedented rates of population growth. It is inaccurate, however, to assume that Ireland's depopulation of the late 19th century was soley due to Famine related emigration. Post-Famine changes in demographic patterns such as the agricultural inheritance system, the friends and family effect, and marriage activity contributed to causing further emigration and to lower Ireland's fertility rate. High rates of emigration combined with declined fertility are therefore responsible for Ireland's dramatic depopultion of the 19th century.
Today, Ireland's population is approximately 6 million, and in contrast to the post-Famine era, the country has experienced positive net immigration. Ireland's membership into the European Union in 2004 has stimulated significant economic growth, which has caused an influx of migrants from central Europe, most noteably from Poland, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
