The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Famine, took place mainly between 1845 and 1849, with its broader crisis period often dated from 1845 to 1851.

Quick timeline

  • 1845: First major outbreak of potato blight; the famine begins.
  • 1846–1848: Worst years of mass starvation, disease, and eviction.
  • 1849: Crop failures and cholera outbreaks continue, though conditions start to ease.
  • By about 1850–1851: The famine is generally considered to have ended, though its social and demographic effects lasted much longer.

In short: when people talk about “the Irish Potato Famine,” they usually mean the years 1845–1849, within a broader disaster from 1845–1851.