The Great Potato Famine. 

    From 1843 to 1851 over 1 million Irish starved and over 2 million emigrated to  other countries.    As a result of “An Gorta Mor” and political/religious persecution, many of the Irish emigrated to the United States in 1847-1855.  Some of them settled near Chicago, Illinois and later many moved to central Illinois counties of Macon, Shelby, Moultrie and Christian.