ABSTRACT
The struggle for land has constituted a major theme in Irish history. In the economic and political circumstances of the period from the 17th to the 20th century, access to land ensured some measure of security and stability. For those without access to land, or to sufficient quantities of it to sustain them the reality was most often one of economic and social marginalisation, and, periodically, starvation. One of the most consistent criticisms of orthodox ‘natural hazards’ research, and theory over the past few years has been its lack of historical perspective. Third-World studies aside, the ‘Great Starvation’ in Ireland provides one of the most interesting and informative historical case studies. In the case of Ireland the initial feudal expansion from England, from the 12th to the 16th century established a weak and regionally isolated regime which eventually retreated in the face of strong opposition from Gaelic society and weak support from England.
