Punch and the Irish Famine

Punch Magazine was an avenue for the British middle class to look at and understand contemporary issues. During the Irish Famine, Punch mostly published cartoons that portrayed the Irish as lazy, incompetent, violent, and subservient to the English. This perpetuated anti-Irish stereotypes and made the English public less sympathetic to helping the Irish during the famine.

John Leech was a caricaturist for Punch. He was famously anti-Irish and used his platform to display his views. For example, he drew “Young Ireland in business for Himself,” (seen below) a cartoon in which insinuates the idea that the Irish are a violent people.

“The British Lion and the Irish Monkey”

These cartoons are important to understand how the English viewed the Irish as a lazy incompetent people or violent brutal aggressors. This cartoon displays how the English perceived themselves as the noble, strong lion ruling the country, while Ireland is portrayed as the monkey. The Irish are rebellious, an annoyance, as well as insignificant to the might of England.

“Young Ireland in Business for Himself”

This cartoon shows Young Ireland Movement as violent barbarians. Implies that the Irish do not deserve aid because they are recklessly spending money on weapons instead of food. It portrays Irish as sub-human with ape-like features. This shows that the Irish are inferior to the British. Pseudo-science that “inferior” cultures are hyper-masculine and ape-like.

“The English Labourer’s Burden”

The Irishman is portrayed as the undeserving poor because he is living off the hard labour of the Englishman. On the other hand, the Englishman was deserving of sympathy because he is able to carry himself and the Irishman on his own, even though he is weighed down by the burden.

“The Real Potato Blight of Ireland”

Punch shows how the laziness of the Irish is the real problem in Ireland, so they are undeserving poor. The cartoon implies that the Irish are not willing to solve their own problems. They were not debilitated by hunger or disease, but rather by laziness.

The Pictorial Times and the Irish Famine 

While Punch and The Pictorial Times differed in style of how they portrayed the Irish as the undeserving poor, they shared the same message. This juxtaposition is important to understand how the English perceived the Irish. The Pictorial Times, a British newspaper, also contributed anti-Irish stereotypes that portrayed them as the undeserving poor. The newspaper would have pictures of contemporary events and then a short article would follow. These pictures ensured that the common person in England would be able to understand current events. During the Irish Famine, the Irish were portrayed as violent barbarians and undeserving of British aid.

Violent Irish Criminals 

This is different from Punch because it does not exaggerate the physical features of the Irish, but it still implies that the Irish are violent thugs, stealing food, instead of helping themselves by doing honest work. The Irish, according to The Pictorial Times, are criminals and are undeserving of aid.

Folk Music of the Irish Famine

“The Poor Laws, Potato Disease and Free Trade”