What was the great famine or the great hunger

Hunger or famine that occurred in Ireland in 1840s (Specifically 1845 - 49) when the potato crop failed. The crop failures were caused by something called late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible roots or tubers, of the potato plant.

Answer: "The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the Great Hunger, began in 1845 when a fungus-like organism called Phytophthora infestans (or P. infestans) spread rapidly throughout Ireland. The infestation ruined up to one-half of the potato crop that year, and about three-quarters of the crop over the next seven years."

Explanation