Irish potato famine

During the 1840's, a potato blight fungus struck across Europe. It turned this important food staple into a black, soggy, and inedible mess. In Ireland, the lower classes were particularly dependent on the potato as their primary and sometimes only foodsource. It is estimated that the initial population of Ireland, about 4 million was halved, with 1 million dying and 1 million emigrating, primarily to America. During this time, Great Britain forced the Irish to export corn (and other crops) which could have saved the lives of many Irish.

I think the Irish population was higher then. Maybe about 8.5 million before the famine and 6 million after. But i don't have easy access to accurate figures. Does anyone?

Also there was a second Irish potato famine about 40 years later. I think the death-toll was much lower, but there was still a great deal of hardship and considerable emigration. Population after the second famine dropped to around 4 million. Economic and political effects were profound.

The same fungus (Phytopthera infestans) was responsible. When people speak of "The Irish potato famine", they nearly always mean the one of the 1840s. There is much less awareness of the later one.