Hibernian Chronicle: The Famine’s turning point

This week Hibernian Chronicle continues with a look at the human actions that transformed a significant agricultural crisis into a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.
The initial reaction of the British government to the reports of widespread crop failure was promising. Prime Minister Robert Peel’s Tory government acted quickly to prevent starvation (Peel had presided over food relief efforts during crises in Ireland back in 1817 and 1822).
Peel ordered a Scientific Commission to investigate the causes of the blight and in November 1845 secretly purchased