Irish Voices: Tim "Pat" Coogan and The Famine Plot: England's Role in Ireland's Greatest Tragedy

Timothy “Tim” Patrick Coogan (born 22 April 1935), called “the unofficial voice of modern Irish history” by The Economist, is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He served as editor of The Irish Press newspaper from 1968 to 1987. Today, he is best known for his popular and sometimes controversial books on aspects of modern Irish history, including The IRA, Ireland Since the Rising, On the Blanket, and biographies of Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera. In the famine years of 1845-52, Ireland lost a quarter of its population. “An estimated one million people died of hunger and disease, while another million immigrated to places like Boston, New York, and Liverpool. In The Famine Plot, Coogan argues that these two million did not suffer simply because of a natural disaster, but because of a policy of not-so-benign neglect by England, which then governed the island nation.” (Boston Globe) This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by The Institute for the Study of Irish Culture and the Center for the Study of Europe.