▁the ▁" min i - f am ine " ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁was ▁not ▁marked ▁by ▁many ▁death s , ▁mainly ▁increased ▁hung er , ▁and ▁was ▁largely ▁focused ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁Ireland , ▁in ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Con n acht . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁newsp apers ▁were ▁reporting ▁severe ▁dist ress ▁amongst ▁ten ants ▁in ▁all ▁parts ▁of ▁Ireland ▁tradition ally ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁pot ato , ▁with ▁only ▁ 1 . 4 ▁tons ▁produced ▁per ▁stat ute ▁a cre ▁( 3 . 5 ▁tons ▁per ▁hect are ) ▁in ▁County ▁May o , ▁the ▁lowest ▁in ▁a ▁de cade ▁and ▁under ▁half ▁the ▁previous ▁year ' s ▁har vest . ▁ ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁of ▁a ▁far ▁smaller ▁scale ▁to ▁either ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁Great ▁Fam ines , ▁its ▁appearance ▁caused ▁w ides p read ▁pan ic ▁among ▁Irish ▁people ; ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁adult s ▁of ▁the ▁period ▁had ▁experienced ▁the ▁Great ▁Fam ine ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 5 – 1 8 5 2 ▁as ▁children ▁and ▁were ▁ter r ified ▁that ▁their ▁families ▁faced ▁a ▁repeat ▁of ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁death s , ▁and ▁in ▁particular ▁a ▁repeat ▁of ▁" Black ▁' 4 7 ". ▁An ▁increase ▁in ▁em igration ▁occurred , ▁as ▁did ▁a ▁move ▁from ▁food less ▁parts ▁of ▁rural ▁Ireland ▁into ▁major ▁cities ▁and ▁towns . ▁However , ▁the ▁population ▁moves ▁proved ▁temporary . ▁With ▁the ▁re - app earance ▁of ▁the