Abstract

The chapter analyses the impact of the Great Famine -- an event which, it is widely believed, the Irish people have never been able either to accept or assimilate -- within both an historical and a psychological context. The discussion does not seek to enter into the ongoing arguments over the causes or progress or handling of the crisis but instead explores the wider meaning of the Famine as a factor in shaping Irish history and culture. In its continuing capacity to shock and challenge comprehension, the Famine raises fundamental questions about trauma, historicity, memory and the discipline of history itself.