During this period, Ireland was occupied and ruled by Great Britain. Because Britain was exporting the majority of other available crops abroad (selling them to other countries), millions of Irish were left starving, leading to over two million people emigrating (leaving) from Ireland. Cork Harbour is very important historically for this event, as many people left from here. This is also why there are so many with Irish ancestry in the United States today. Do you know anyone with Irish ancestry?
Seaweed, while not consumed by the average Irish person daily, is also very relevant to the local environment, as many varieties of seaweed grow plentifully on the beaches and in the sea around the island of Ireland, and were used historically to enrich the quality of agricultural soils, especially on the Aran Islands, which are small islands near Galway, Ireland. Dulse itself is one of many wild varieties harvested and sold in Ireland.
