ABSTRACT
In reading through the commentary about Ireland in the British press, it becomes obvious that Ireland was rarely presented in terms of itself. When not viewed through British-made stereotypes, Ireland and its people were discussed in terms of British interests or concerns. Therefore, the scarcer food became in Ireland, during the first half of 1846, the more the British press and politicians focused on the Com Laws. The questions regarding protection were by no means irrelevant to Ireland, especially not its landlords. Teetering on the brink of famine, however, the country-- was too often a mere function in the debate over free trade.
