Post-Famine Demographics
During and after the Famine, population in Ireland began to decline at a staggering rate, resulting in a 4.5 million reduction in population from 1841 to 1911. As a proportion of the population, this rate of emigration was more than double that of any other European country [6]). The drain in Irish population was seemingly a reversal of the growth achieved in the decades prior to the potato crisis. Emigration was undoubtedly a major source of Ireland’s depopulation, however, it is inaccurate to assume that emigration was the only cause of depopulation or that all post-Famine emigration was Famine related. Rather, it was a specific combination of changes in demographic patterns that created various avenues through which depopulation occurred. These other factors are discussed below and can certainly be attributed to the explanation of Ireland’s depopulation.
Emigration Characteristics
The tremendous outflow of emigrants during the post-Famine years meant that there was a large percentage of Irish born nationals living outside of their homeland. Consequently, by 1881 almost 40 percent of those born in Ireland no longer remained in the Emerald Isle (Hatton and Williamson, 578, 1993). Most emigrants journeyed to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. America was by far the most popular choice, with an estimated 84 percent of migrants leaving for the states from 1861-1870, which rose to 93 percent during 1891-1900 (Guinnane, 104, 1997). By 1891, the number of Irish living in America peaked at nearly two million. Table 2 provides data on the number of individuals who left Ireland for the various destination countries. Clearly, America received an overwhelming majority of Irish emigrants, while Great Britain served as runner up.
In contrast to pre-Famine characteristics, those who emigrated after 1850 were predominately young, single adults between the ages of 15 and 35, whereas before and during the Famine the majority were families and their children. This 15 to 35 age group accounted for nearly 80 percent emigration from 1881 to 1911, and roughly 85 percent of migrants aged 15 or older were single during this time period (Hatton and Williamson, 587, 1993). It is known that most emigrants were unskilled individuals from rural agricultural regions in the south and west where farms were small and families were large (Guinnane, 108, 1997). Also distinctive of post-Famine exodus was an equal number of male and female emigrants, which contrasts to the male-dominated emigration of other European countries during this time period. This balanced sex ratio is an important feature as it meant that Ireland’s high emigration did not cause unequal quantities of men and women in Irish communities. History has shown that unbalanced emigration can have profound demographic consequences in the home country, partly due to the effects on marriage patterns (Guinnane, 106, 1997). Another change in the character of emigration after the Famine was the low chance of return migration. Before the Famine, temporary migration to England was common among Irish agricultural workers. However, after the Famine struck, the wage gap narrowed between Ireland and England and America provided seemingly better labor opportunities. The Irish therefore replaced temporary movement to England with permanent emigration to America (Harris, 198, 1994). The characteristics described above reflect the way in which Ireland’s post-1850 emigration trends differed from those in pre-Famine years. Thus, the Famine marks a turning point in Ireland’s emigration experience; however, it is not the Famine alone that accounts for such changes.
Friends and Family Effect
The friends and family effect, also referred to as ‘chain migration’, is one factor that contributed to the continuity of emigration after 1850. This effect occurred when the emigration of friends and relatives made future migration more common due to increases in the flow of information and financial support. Specifically, a ‘migratory chain’ was established when one relative was sent overseas, which was typically financed by family members pooling their funds. Once this individual settled abroad and saved enough income, they were able to repay their family members by financing the emigration of another relative. This pattern would continue until whole groups of individuals or families had moved into a new country. The migration process was eased not only through the supply of funds by migrant friends and relatives, but also because the first traveler could report back to their relations about the conditions of the new country and thus serve as an accurate and direct source of information for future emigrants. Due to this system, the journey abroad became much easier in post-Famine years for individuals whose relatives had emigrated before and during the Famine. This friends and family effect contributes to explaining how very poor people were able to emigrate, and also contributes to the overall explanation of post-Famine exodus, as this effect is shown to have caused as many as 41,000 extra emigrants per annum (Hatton and Williamson, 585, 1993).
Emigration Decline
The Stem Family System
Celibacy
