For most of Ireland's history, most of the people living there were on a knife-edge with hunger. Hard weather and bad harvest or as most will see it, intentional destruction of crops and animals by armed forces, could quickly send the poor into starvation. They will have to rely on mutual aid or charity to survive. In the 16th century Ireland's population was estimated at about one million. When they factored in infant mortality the average life span expectancy was 28 years of age. The countryside was covered in bogs and very heavily wooded. The small, best areas of land were cleared for agriculture, including the result that the area of tilled land of given lordship that's tended to sprawl in unconnected …show more content…
Corn was the staple crop, which had the considerable disadvantage, it was easily destroyed and hard to grow (“War And Famine In Ireland 1580-1700”). The most important commodity in the country from 1580- 1700, cattle served as currency, clothing, and most obviously a food source (“War And Famine In Ireland 1580-1700”). The meat of cattle was only eaten on special occasions, except by the higher class. The poorer people of the Irish populations diet included oatcakes, milk, curds, butter, and cheese (“War And Famine In Ireland 1580-1700”). If you'll notice almost all the items listed came from cattle.In the poorer parts of the country,such as the pale around Dublin and South County Wexford for example, where tillage was very common, the more common people survived on bread and thin soup made from cereals, peas and beans. At this time the potato had not been introduced to the New World. The potato was introduced around 1610 but wasn't known as a staple food until the 18th century. Life was fairly uncertain for common people at the best of times. In zones of tillage farming, when the storage of food was running out and new crops had not been harvested, was known