The Great Famine- an Gorta Mór (Great Hunger) – is Ireland’s greatest tragedy. The blight caused more than a million Irish people to die of starvation or related illnesses and two and a half million more to emigrate to America and elsewhere on what were called “Coffin Ships.” The English believed that the Irish were mainly to blame for the plight because they used outdated and inefficient farming systems. The English believed that the Irish were lazy and didn’t deserve help.