Podcast Summary: “Irlanda: Morir de hambre o emigrar (3)”

Podcast: Todo Concostrina
Host: Nieves Concostrina (Cadena SER)
Date: February 11, 2026
Episode Theme:
Continuing the special Irish Week series, this episode focuses on the devastating Irish Potato Famine of the mid-19th century, mass emigration to America, and the hostile reception that awaited Irish immigrants. The conversation explores the roots of Irish resentment towards the English, the hardships of migration, and the social tensions unleashed in the US.

Main Theme & Purpose

• Exploration of the Irish Potato Famine and its aftermath: The episode delves into the depths of suffering experienced in Ireland due to the famine, the mass migration that ensued, and the persistent cultural memory of these events.
• Irish emigration to America: Focus on the conditions of the journey, the discrimination Irish Catholics faced on arrival, and the cyclical nature of immigrant tensions in US society.
• Broader reflections: Draws parallels with later migrant flows, entrenched prejudices, and the survival of historical grievances into the present.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Memory and International Solidarity

[01:00]–[03:16]

• The global awareness of the Irish famine was widespread at its time, contrary to some modern assumptions.
• Nieves opens with a notable parallel: donations during the 2020 pandemic to Navajo and Hopi tribes came largely from Irish Americans, often accompanied by notes saying "Ireland does not forget."
• Backstory: This gratitude stems from 1847, when the Choctaw Nation, despite extreme poverty, raised $170 (a significant sum for them) to support starving Irish people—while the English government in neighboring Britain failed to help.
  • Quote:

    “Aquel gesto nunca lo olvidaron los irlandeses, unos nativos en el interior de un continente, al otro lado del océano, estaban intentando ayudar a unos europeos, mientras los ingleses, en la isla de al lado, les negaban a los irlandeses el pan y la sal.” – Nieves Concostrina [03:10]

2. The Irish Famine and Forced Migration

[03:16]–[04:55]

• The famine killed roughly one million Irish people; over a million more emigrated, primarily to the US.
• Conditions of Emigration:
  • Irish refugees traveled in "coffin ships," notoriously overcrowded and perilous.
  • “Se calcula que el 30% de los irlandeses moría en la travesía. Y el 70% que llegaba era recibido muy malamente” – Nieves [03:43].
• Reception in America:
  • The Irish were met with prejudice, mainly religious: predominantly Protestant America viewed Irish Catholic immigrants as threatening and undesirable.
  • Their arrival en masse was seen as a challenge to US national identity, which the host sarcastically scrutinizes, referencing America’s diverse immigrant roots.

3. Representation in Media: ‘Gangs of New York’

[04:55]–[07:22]

• Discussion pivots to the film Gangs of New York as a cultural lens to understand 19th-century immigrant clashes.

  • The movie opens with a nativist character mocking the Irish: “¿Es este el ejército del Papa?”, highlighting the anti-Catholic sentiment.
  • The characterizations (Daniel Day-Lewis as the nativist leader, Liam Neeson as an Irish immigrant) illustrate tensions rooted in religion and ethnicity.
  • Historical accuracy: The real-life nativist movement resembled modern far-right, xenophobic groups, branding themselves as "native" simply by virtue of being born in the US.

• Quote:

  “Eran todos hijos de inmigrantes que por haber nacido en territorio estadounidense dos días antes ya se consideraban nativos pura cepa... todos eran racistas, todos eran xenófobos, y casi todos pobres como ratas.” – Nieves [06:08]

4. The Nativist Movement and Ongoing Patterns

[07:22]–[10:23]

• The so-called nativists evolved into the "Know Nothing" Party, openly embracing ignorance as identity.

• Irish immigrants, already victims, soon became perpetrators: by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as new groups immigrated (Italians, Jews, Chinese), the Irish themselves resisted the newcomers.

• Religious identity, once so divisive, lost relevance as new mafia structures formed among Irish and Italian Catholics.

  • “Las dos paseaban muñecas y muñecos por sus barrios, las dos iban a misa los domingos y las dos encargaban asesinatos los lunes.” – Nieves [10:25]

• Memorable Moment:

  • Explanation of Halloween’s true origins:

    “A ver, que la tradición de la noche de Muertos del 31 de octubre... es la costumbre que llegó a Estados Unidos con aquella masiva migración irlandesa... Antes no tenían nada de eso.” – Nieves [10:35]

  • Halloween (originally "Samhain"), popularized in the US by Irish immigrants, was not an American invention.

5. Duration & Aftermath of Irish Emigration

[11:16]–[13:35]

• Length of Mass Emigration:
  • The most intense wave (“a lo bestia”) lasted 4-5 years following the famine (~1845–1850), with residual migration for years after.
• Integration and Prejudice:
  • Irish-Americans faced enduring discrimination—stigmatized as lazy, drunk, dirty, backward—especially for being Catholic.
  • Signs in factories frequently read: “Irish need not apply.”
  • By the late 19th century, America’s immigration surge (up to 5 million/year) led earlier groups (including Irish) to view newcomers with the same suspicion once shown to them.
  • The Irish survived, but the collective trauma (and persistent stereotypes) remained.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On historical memory and solidarity:

  “Irlanda no olvida.” [Choctaw–Irish connection] [02:56]

• On mass death and emigration:

  “Un millón de irlandeses murieron de hambre. Otro millón y pico tuvieron que emigrar.” – Nieves [03:26]

• On American nativism:

  “El rechazo que sintieron los irlandeses por ser católicos e incultos también acabó volviéndolos violentos y pendencieros. Y la miseria también les volvió a muchos alcohólicos.” – Nieves [04:45]

• On cyclical xenophobia:

  “Era inmigrantes como los otros, pero de ayer, rechazando a los inmigrantes de hoy, o sea, el último contra el penúltimo... seguimos en esas.” – Nieves [07:52]

• On Irish contribution to American culture (Halloween):

  “La tradición... Es la costumbre que llegó a Estados Unidos con aquella masiva migración irlandesa... Los yanquis no han inventado nada ni nos han colocado nada.” – Nieves [10:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00] – The Irish famine in global consciousness; Choctaw donation story
• [03:16] – Migration numbers and “coffin ships”; arrival in the US
• [05:07] – Gangs of New York reference; roots of nativist violence
• [07:22] – The nativist “Know Nothing” movement; violence in US cities
• [10:25] – Evolution of ethnic mafias and breakdown of religious bigotry; origins of Halloween
• [11:26] – Duration of the Irish emigration wave
• [12:00] – Discrimination in American labor markets ("Irish need not apply")

Conclusion

This episode illuminates the tragic scale and enduring scars of the Irish famine and emigration, the harsh realities for Irish immigrants in America, and the perpetuation of prejudice through cycles of migration. With characteristic wit and sharp historical perspective, Nieves Concostrina highlights how compassion, memory, and discrimination intertwine across generations, challenging listeners to recognize the persistent echoes of the past in today's world.