Famine Walls. The Great Famine occurred in Ireland between 1845 and 1851 resulting in mass starvartion, death and emigration. Some areas survived while others had their entire population obliterated. It was freezing that day and we were wearing multiple layers. The Irish were barefoot and poorly clothed. English overlords refused to give something for nothing and thus started the scheme of the famine walls. In order to earn their cup of soup and piece of bread for the day theu would have to spend all day chipping out stones and building these famine walls. They stretch across the barren landscape. There is nothing here. There is no property being marked, no livestock being contained.... One of the hills contains a road they had to build that is inaccessible and starts and stops in nowhere.