very interesting points raised, Jim

since New York was one of the major destinations for immigrant ships, the Irish famine victims among them, I live in a state with a fairly large Irish population. I would like to point out also that the middle 19th century was the second wave from Ireland... 1799 saw quite a few who came over for "health reasons"... it being very unhealthy to stay after the failed rebellion. My father-in-law's family are descended from one such fellow who settled in Lake Placid.

And we live within 50 miles of the Erie Canal... renowned for the large Irish workforce involved in its construction. Many of the Irish descendants make at least one trip to Ireland in their lifetimes. And not a few of my folk music friends are Irish or Anglo-Irish that have become naturalized citizens, as well as those from England and Scotland. I have to say.. they all get along far better than some of us here on Mudcat.

In America, two of our early presidents were also deeply committed to improvements to agriculture and that legacy had a lasting effect on our country. That same period in time saw many of the arguably brightest & best, potentially natural leaders in Ireland to be lost - either executed, deported or fled. I have to ponder an alternate reality where these people were able to stay in Ireland and how they would have responded to the challenge of the blight...