**The Fields of Athenry** - The Irish Famine

[jeffzx10]

IT WAS NOT THE BRITS , THE PADDYS FORGOT WHERE THEY PLANTED THE POTATOES

[SPL141]

The American Heritage Dictionary defines genocide as: “The systematic, planned annihilation of a racial, political or cultural group.” That's clearly what this was!

[SPL141]

With potato cultivation over because of the blight, tenants could pay no rents. Sheep and cattle could pay rent, so landlords decided to give the land over to them. “In 1850, over 104,000 people were evicted.”

[SPL141]

The export of livestock to Britain (with the exception of pigs) increased during the “famine”. The export of bacon and ham increased. In total, over three million live animals were exported from Ireland between 1846-50, more than the number of people who emigrated during the famine years. A wide variety of commodities left Ireland during 1847, including peas,beans, onions, rabbits, salmon, oysters, herring, lard, honey, tongues,animal skins, rags, shoes, soap, glue and seed.

[SPL141]

According to John Mitchel, quoted by Woodham-Smith, “Ireland was actually producing sufficient food, wool and flax, to feed and clothe not nine but eighteen millions of people,” yet a ship sailing into an Irish port during the famine years with a cargo of grain was “sure to meet six ships sailing out with a similar cargo.”

[SPL141]

Wow, there are some real uneducated post.

“Although the potato crop failed, the country was still producing and exporting more than enough grain crops to feed the population. But that was a ‘money crop’ and not a ‘food crop’ and could not be interfered with.”

[BollockMcTesticles]

As a Scotsman and a Celtic fan i pay homage to this song

[liamthedream]

There was a catch to getting the soup....one had to convert to the Protestant Religion, hence the expression..."He took the Soup" or in other words an Informer, a Traitor and so on....

[dawtimbhoy]

feilds of athenry what else can i say

[JonnieRebel]

Such a sweet sad song

[gerschampionstoasty]

Rule Britannia

[DiegoElArbol]

Thanks Paddy Reilly for singing this song so wonderfully

[ukpoliticalmiddle]

Britain's elite treated EVERYONE disgracefully- look at reaction to cholera outbreaks on the mainland here. There were plenty of people who tried to help though- and ironically, lots of Irish actually benefited from the famine where a million died. Nothing is black and white. At least economists learned that 'laissez-faire' doesn't work.

[irishbollix]

@ukpoliticalmiddle

'laissez-faire' my bollix... the british starved the irish...

[ukpoliticalmiddle]

@irishbollix ... the British? the British? You mean the British GOVERNMENT. 95% of Brits didn't even know where Ireland was.

[irishbollix]

@ukpoliticalmiddle

While the British educational system keeps the Bert and Betty six-pack ignorant of the genocide committed by their forefathers in Ireland, I hope that you're one of them that has decided to come out of ignorance on the facts. Hence do not offer excuses that ''..95% of Brits didn't even know where Ireland was.'' The Germans said the same of the death camps in 1945.

[ukpoliticalmiddle]

@irishbollix

I can't believe you've written that; it is absurd.

[irishbollix]

@ukpoliticalmiddle

absurd? the only thing absurd here is for you to deny british genocide in ireland over the last 900 years.

[ckelly633]

@ukpoliticalmiddle GON WISE UP WELL SUPPOSE THE ENGLISH WERE A PILE OF TWATS

[toonmag50]

Britain s elite treated Ireland ,the Irish and Catholic people in general disgracefuly-I am ashamed of some of the brit comments on these sites.

Long live Ireland from England.

[DaRkEmBeRs27]

god bless the Irish and may the lost be at the side of the almighty ...only with him will we all be at peace

[henblas3]

@DaRkEmBeRs27 AND WHAT ABOUT THE CATHOLIC FATHERS THAT LOVE LITTLE BOYS .

[rombo1982]

Jeffzx10 why don't you suicide yourselve? half of my blood came down in italy for this reason u rotten piece o'shit....decerebrate bastard

[typacsk]

There's a place for your kind of wit. It isn't here.

[TheRealFatShiney]

haha,

either that or the british are the biggest bunch of cunts ever

[itsjustmacker]

The Song So Rightly peaks For Itself.

, As An Irishman I thank The English Quakers for the generous help to my starving nation.

God Bless Them

and God Bless Ireland

Peace

[DANC1NGQUEEN]

Total inaction on the part of the UK government, sounds familiar????

[beatlesroker]

it wasnt a famine it was the brits that say it was they took all our good foods and sent it away and they let crops die in the feilds so the irish couldnt eat them

[irishbollix]

@beatlesroker

the british starved the irish and they thanked God for the potato blight... those are the facts and to state otherwise is lies.

[gingerkid11111]

@beatlesroker Also the blyte, which made the Crop turn too mush.

[StSimonMartyr]

Ireland didnt starve for potatoes, But Food!

Ireland Starved because its food, 40-70 shiploads per day, were removed at Gunpoint by 12,000 British constables reinforced by the British militia, battleships, Coast Guard and 200,000 British soldiers.

Britain Seized from Ireland's producers tens of millions of head of livestock; tens of millions of tons of flour, grains, meat, poultry & dairy products; enough to sustain 18 million persons.'

5 Million of Catholics Genocided by Zionist England

[dasun75]

good man josparkes from norfolk respect

[301br]

A beautiful song. Try Maureen Carroll's as well. And remember, the greatest aid to the innocent Irish victims of the Famine came from English Quakers - Christians who too were oppressed by their own government at home.

[josparkes]

Absolutely wonderful singing, and this singer is unbeatable.

Jo Sparkes

Norfolk

17/11/2008

[josparkes]

Lovely lovely song.

Love it to bits.

Jo Sparkes

Norfolk

5/11/2008

[celticeden]

moronic imbecile...get ta feck

[RogueRover]

You ignorant cunt! How dare you have the gall to say such bollocks about the Irish people. After all the hell that people like you have opposed upon us we deserve a freedom! UP The RA! Tiofiach ar la!

[WexfordBoyo18]

hahahaha hees upset, because the british lost fucking everything, and we got the world mate, the world is ours, every major city, in america, britan, austrailia, and new zealand, was built by an irish workforce, the irish are respected by every1 every where, the british are hated by every1 everywhere, they caused every major conflict in the world, even americas cold war with the soviet union was churchills fault, palestine is their fault... let him be stupid-like and FUCK off brown up the RA

[RogueRover]

Aye mate. Up the RA!

[henblas3]

@RogueRover most r catholic looking for little boys to pray on just like the father , catholic church fu off

[markycfc1]

Fuck You

[josparkes]

Why don't you.

The respect that should be shown here is something you should remember, and you should remember too the lack of respect and indifference shown to the innocent in that terrible time in 1845, when millions starved, while food was exported to England. I don't know actually about you going home, but you should go and crawl back into the hole you slimed out of.

Jo S

Norfolk

5/11/2008

[AMason8634]

Great video and song!

[DROGSFOREVER]

Wonderful song, wonderful singer!

Sums up the Great Famine of Ireland, beautifully.................

[josparkes]

Doesn't it just. So sad and true.

Ihad to make a comment on what 02brown4 said above, I have never heard such insulting rubbish said about such a sacred subject.

What ignorance.

Jo Sparkes

Norfolk

5/11/2008

[coolcelt]

JOSPARKE its what the Rangers fans sing to Annoy Celtic fans these days at every football ground in Scotland, and get away with it. Its their new favourite song of hatred.

They hate the Celtic fans becuase they are of Irish descent. They are racist scum and deserve to rot in hell.

[josparkes]

Yes I agree there, I don't know why this bad behaviour should be, where is the decency and respect that should be given to a nation, or any part of the world that has known the worst times, in their history.

My Grandfather was Irish though I never met him, and my Dad was always called Paddy.

Yours sincerely

Jo Sparkes

Norfolk

17/11/2008

[superali1690888]

We are racist??? When Mark Walters played for rangers in an old firm game your manky mob threw bananas at him and made monkey noises. Rangers tried to end racism in scotland by playing the first black player in an old firm game, they thought celtic would support this, but sadly not. Typical celtic abused him with missiles and insults. And we do not hate celtic because there irish. We hate celtic because you think their irish! THE FAMINE IS OVER. WHY DONT YOU GO HOME!

[coolcelt]

I support a SCOTTISH team you clown.Theyre called GLASGOW Celtic. Dont prenend to know me bigot because you and youre ilk never will. Your nickname sums you up. Pathetic creature. Crawl under the stone you came from and dont pollute this page.

[alanhb4]

hail hail

[stevenstreets3]

Very enjoyable posting.Baby you made me laugh.Who is the singer?Wonderful flute.

[Leveler28]

Paddy Reilly is the singer,