The Great Irish Famine: Changing Forever the Makeup of the American People

Life in Ireland in the period 1846 - 1850 was filled with starvation, disease and unrelenting misery. That period, which came to be called the Great Irish Famine, changed the social and cultural history of Ireland and the United States. New York State Assembly member John J. McEneny, whose maternal and paternal ancestors were among the hundreds of thousands of Irish who immigrated to the United States to escape the ravages of the famine, will explore the lasting impact of the famine on the social fabric of this country and the Albany community.

The Neighborhood Stories lecture is a free event.

 

A former Albany County historian, Jack McEneny is a well known teacher and speaker on local history, ethnicity and related fields. He is a member of the New York State Assembly and author of "Albany: Capital City on the Hudson."