How did the Irish Potato Famine affect Dublin’s population and living conditions?

The Irish Potato Famine (1845–1849) significantly exacerbated poverty and overcrowding in Dublin. As the collapse of smallholdings devastated the countryside, tens of thousands of displaced people flocked to the city, intensifying the existing housing crisis.1

During this period, Dublin was already struggling with the decline of its status following the 1801 Act of Union. Dispossessed peasants crowded into formerly elegant Georgian houses that had been subdivided into tenements, turning them into slums. This influx of people fleeing the famine contributed to a cycle of extreme poverty and poor living conditions that persisted for decades, characterized by nonexistent sanitation and high mortality rates. Additionally, the famine triggered a surge in emigration from the city, with many residents departing for England and the United States.1