What was the population of Ireland before and directly after the famine?
Ireland had a growing population before the famine as the census figures for the years preceding it show; In 1821 – 6,801,827 1831 – 7,767,401 1841 – 8,175,124 The census figures for the year 1851 show “A total island population in the aftermath of the Irish potato famine of 6,552,385 – a fall of 1,622,739 in ten years.”