The Great Hunger Rulebook & Example of Play

Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century

Rulebook & Example of Play

The Great Hunger

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................ 2 2. GAME COMPONENTS ...................................... 2 3. GAME SET UP ............................................... 2 4. THE PLAYER TURN ........................................ 3 5. PLACING POPULATION BLOCKS ......................... 3 6. PLAYING CARDS ........................................... 3 7. THE BLIGHT ARRIVES .................................... 4

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3. Game Set Up 1) Provide each player with a Player Mat (“Start” side up) and place the corresponding colored set of Population Blocks in the Supply area. Use all 25 blocks per player in 2- and 3-player games, 22 in 4-player games, and 20 in 5-player games.

8. MOVING POPULATION BLOCKS ......................... 4 9. THE EMIGRANT SHIP...................................... 5 10. THE BLIGHT ABATES .................................... 5 DESIGNER NOTES ............................................ 5 CREDITS ........................................................ 5 EXAMPLE OF PLAY ........................................... 6 EVENT CARD DESCRIPTIONS ............................. 19 LIST OF COUNTIES ......................................... 20

1. Introduction “The Almighty, indeed, sent the potato blight, but the English created the famine.”

— John Mitchel, Irish revolutionary.

The Great Hunger is a game that simulates Ireland around the time of the Potato Famine, which first appeared on the island in 1845. Players represent groups of tenant farmers and itinerant field hands — what Ebenezer Scrooge might call “the surplus population”. At first, your people will thrive and expand with the help of this “wonder crop”, the potato. But then the Blight arrives — and you must scramble to survive or emigrate to America.

2. GAME COMPONENTS ➢ 1 17” x 22” >Mounted Map ➢ 145 Wooden Pieces: ➢ 125 Population blocks in 5 different colors ➢ 13 English Estates ➢ 9 Factories ➢ 65 Cards ➢ 5 Player Mats ➢ 1 Rules Booklet (incl Example of Play) ➢ 1 Six-Sided Die If any of these parts are missing or damaged, please contact the publisher: Compass Games LLC PO Box 271 Cromwell, CT 06416 USA

2) Pull out and shuffle the five, greenbordered At-Start cards. Have each player draw one of these cards (without revealing it) and return any remaining At-Start cards to the box. Note: These cards may be viewed by the holding player and can be a helpful hint for your set-up strategy.

3) Set the Blight Arrives and Blight Abates cards to one side.

Shuffle all of the remaining cards; count out 12 cards, and put them back in the box, out of play (for now). Count out 12 more cards, shuffle the Blight Arrives card with these 12 cards, and place them facedown on the table. Place the other shuffled cards on top, creating the draw deck. (The Blight Abates card remains to one side.)

4) Each player places two Population blocks on any of the numbered square(s) of Available Population on their player mat (these blocks can be placed in the same box or separate boxes). Place the remaining blocks in their Supply box.

5) Place one Factory and one English Estate marker in Dublin.

6) Determine who goes first. This should be the player who can claim the closest Irish ancestry; or, lacking any players with actual Irish blood, the player with the most Irishsounding name (e.g., “Oakley”, which sounds like it might be “O’Kley”). Play proceeds clockwise from the first player.

7) The first player takes one Population block from their Supply box, and places it in any unoccupied County, except Dublin and any of the three adjacent Counties (Meath, Kildare and Wicklow). The other players do the same, in turn.

8) Then, the third-from-last player (except in two-player games) takes one English Estate and places it in any of the three Counties adjacent to Dublin. The next-to-last player does the same. The last player places an English Estate in any unoccupied County adjacent to a County already containing an English Estate (Dublin or one of the previously placed English Estates).

Note that there are always three English Estates placed in addition to the Estate that begins in Dublin, and always by the last three players. (Except in two-player games, when only two additional Estates are placed.)

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The Great Hunger 4. The Player Turn From the start of the game, until The Blight Arrives (7.), each player does the following during their turn: Step One: Allocate Available Population (Skip if Supply is empty) Take 2 Population Blocks from your Supply box, and place them on any of the numbered square(s) in your Available Population.

You may place them both on the same square, or place them on different squares. They may join other blocks already on the square, or fill in an empty square. It’s entirely your choice.

Population Blocks may never be re-arranged once placed in your Available Population.

County if you play a card that allows this as you place the block. The River Shannon does not adversely affect adjacent Counties (ex: Tipperary is adjacent to Galway).

A County is considered occupied if it contains one or more Population blocks or an English Estate (occupied or unoccupied). A County is considered empty (unoccupied) if there is nothing in it.

Special Rules For Placement:

English Estate

Step Two: Determine Population Ready for Placement A) Roll the die to determine which numbered square will activate.

B) Move the Population Block(s) from the activated square to the Ready for Placement box.

This is the number of Population Blocks you can place this turn (unless you play a card that allows you to place a Population Block “from Supply”, that is, directly from your Supply box.)

Step Three: Card Play & Population Placement You may now play any number of cards (including none at all) and place the Population blocks in your Ready for Placement box on the map in any order you’d like.

Each turn, you may play as many of the cards in your hand as you’d like. Early in the game, you will often not play any cards, since there are many empty Counties to place Population Blocks into, without using a card.

Factory

English Estates: Population blocks may not be placed in Counties containing English Estates. Certain cards will allow you to place a Population block directly on an unoccupied Estate marker. Only one Population block may ever occupy a given Estate.

Factories: You may place a Population block onto an unoccupied Factory—regardless of what is already in the County—if it is adjacent to a County that already has one (or more) of your Population blocks. Only one Population block may ever occupy a given Factory.

Note: A County containing a Factory may contain Population blocks outside of the Factory. A County containing an English Estate can never contain Population blocks outside the Estate.

If you are unable to place your Population block(s) by the end of your turn, return them to the numbered Available Population box that they came from this turn.

6. Playing Cards From the start of the game until The Blight Arrives (7.), cards may only be played for the event at the top of the card (green header). From the moment The Blight Arrives to the end of the game, cards may only be placed for the event at the bottom of the card (brown header).

Step Four: End of Turn A) If you were unable to place any of the Population Blocks in your Ready for Placement box, return them to the numbered Available Population square that they came from this turn.

B) Draw one card.

Your turn is now over. Pass the die clockwise to the next player.

5. Placing Population Blocks

Population blocks must be placed in empty Counties adjacent to a County that already has one (or more) of your Population blocks.

Counties connected with a Crossing Arrow are considered adjacent for all purposes. The block in the adjacent County may even be on an English Estate or on a Factory. You may only place additional Population blocks in an occupied

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If you cannot play the currently available event, you must hold the card in your hand until later, perhaps until after The Blight Arrives.

You may have any number of cards in your hand and are never required to play a card.

Note that Population blocks on English Estates or Factories are not “in” their Counties for cardplay purposes, though they are still considered to be present when determining adjacent Counties for Population block placement. They are gainfully employed at the Factory or Estate, and considered separate from the County that the Factory or Estate might be in. They are immune from removal by card play. (However, the Factory or English Estate they occupy is not immune from removal!)

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The Great Hunger

Reaction Cards: Cards with a circled title are Reaction Cards.

These cards may be placed during other players’ turns (even if your blocks are not involved!), as directed by the event. If a Reaction card is played to stop the removal of a Population block (or blocks), place the block (or blocks) back where it was — along with any English Estate or Factory removed by that card.

If a Reaction Card states that it cancels a card (ex: Card #24), all of the initial card’s effects are canceled. If a reaction card states that it cancels a specific effect (ex: Card #25), only that effect is canceled. Any additional effects from the initial card are resolved normally.

Factory Placement: Certain cards will allow you to place a new Factory. If you place a Factory in a County where you already have one or more Population blocks, you may immediately place one of those Population blocks onto the Factory. There can only be one Factory in a County.

Estate Placement: Certain cards will allow you to place a new English Estate. There can only be one Estate in a County.

County Descriptors: Several cards state County requirements, including Coastal, Port (anchor symbol on map), and on Lough Neagh. The back of this rulebook features a table of all Counties on the map, their latitude and longitude, and their applicable descriptors (if any). Note that even if a County appears to have a small stretch of coastline on the map, it may not be classified as a Coastal County.

7. The Blight Arrives Play continues in this manner until the Blight Arrives card is drawn. The player who draws it must announce it immediately.

Players retain the cards that are in their hands.

Draw Deck Creation: Return the Blight Arrives card to the box (out of play). Shuffle the remaining cards from the draw pile (if any) together with all played cards and the 12 cards from the box.

Now, count out 15 cards and set them aside. Split the remaining cards in half (it doesn’t need to be exact). Place one half of these cards back in the box, out of play. Shuffle the Blight Abates card in with the other half of the cards and place them face-down on the table. Place the set-aside 15 cards on top of these cards, creating the new draw deck.

Player Mat Change: Players now remove all Population blocks left on their Player Mats and return them to the box, out of play.

No more Population blocks will be placed in Ireland! Flip your mat over to the Blight side, providing a graveyard for any of your Population cubes removed during the second half of the game.

The player who drew the Blight Arrives card draws one card from the deck. It is now the next player’s turn.

After the blight arrives, your turn will consist of the following (in any order):

Move Population Block(s): See 8. You may move one Population block for free each turn. For each card you discard, you may move an additional Population block.

Play Cards: You may play any number of cards as before, but only the event at the bottom of the card may be used (brown header).

At the end of your turn, draw one card. Play passes clockwise to the next player.

Note: While the die will no longer be used for your turns, keep it nearby for use with The Emigrant Ship (9.).

8. Moving Population Blocks Each turn, you may move one of your Population blocks into an adjacent County. Population blocks may not be moved into Counties containing another Population block (even your own block!) unless the County contains an empty Factory or a Port (see below). Population cubes may not be moved into Counties containing an English Estate. (Again, unless the County contains an empty Factory or a Port.)

You may use your move to move one of your Population blocks in a County containing a Port into that Port, and then immediately onto the Emigrant Ship. You may use your move to move one of your Population blocks in a County adjacent to a County containing a Port into that Port- regardless of what is already in the Port’s County- and then immediately onto the Emigrant Ship. You may use your move to move one of your Population blocks to any adjacent County that is not occupied, or is only occupied by a Factory- even if the Factory is occupied.

Card events may allow you to move more than the usual one “free” Population block move, when the card is played. Unless otherwise specified by the card, you may only move your own Population blocks.

Card events may allow you to move into a County containing a Port. You may use that card to move into that Port, and then immediately onto the Emigrant Ship, reguardless of what is already in the Port’s County.

Card events will often allow you to Remove other player’s Population blocks from Ireland (Exception: You may remove one of your own Population blocks with any card that calls for you to Remove a block and place it on the Emigrant Ship. These moves can also be canceled by "Cancel any card" effects). Unless otherwise specified, Remove the Population block from the map, and place it in the owning player’s graveyard. Note that there are no cards that remove Population from America!

You may move one additional Population block during your turn for each card that you discard. Some cards may not be playable by you (because of your position on the board) or you may decide that moving an additional block is more important than playing the event on the card.

9. The Emigrant Ship This “ship” actually represents many ships leaving at various times for a trans-Atlantic journey.

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The Great Hunger (Note: When placing a Population block on the Emigrant Ship, you may choose any unoccupied box.) When all six spaces on the Emigrant Ship are filled — either by card play or by moving from a Port — the player who placed the last block rolls the die. (This does not necessarily end that player’s turn.)

The Population block on the corresponding numbered box is removed. Place that block in the owning player’s graveyard. The other five blocks are placed in the America box.

The packet ships carrying emigrants across the Atlantic were crowded and disease-ridden, with poor access to food and water.

The ships soon became known as coffin ships.

10. The Blight Abates The game ends immediately when the Blight Abates card is drawn.

First, roll the die; any Population block on the corresponding numbered box on the Emigrant Ship is removed. (If there is no Population block on the box of the number rolled, there is no effect.) The remaining Population blocks on the ship (if any) are placed in the America box.

Players count how many Population blocks they have in the America box and in Ireland. Whoever has the most blocks wins.

If there is a tie, then roll the die: On a 1 or 2, the tied player with the most Population blocks still in Ireland wins.

On a 3 or 4, the tied player with the most Population blocks in America wins.

On a 5, the tied player with the fewest Population blocks in their graveyard wins.

Eventually, Oliver Cromwell would stop rampaging through Ireland with his New Model Army. England gradually showed less interest in the pacified island next door, capped by the Acts of Union of 1800, formally joining Ireland with Great Britain, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The population recovered and began to expand; after the 1780’s a boom really took off, continuing into the 19th century. Then the blight arrived.

Some have said that the topic of this game is too dark to be made into a simulation. Obviously, I do not agree.

The quote by John Mitchel that begins these rules sums up what occurred during this era in Irish history. This simulation game is about greed and indifference, prosperity and how quickly it can go away, and how the Victorian class structure in England was so rigid, the upper classes had no empathy for the lowest classes.

And the lowest of the low were the poor of occupied Ireland.

Sir Charles Trevelyan literally referred to them as the “surplus population” – thus inspiring Charles Dickens to put these words into the mouth of Ebenezer Scrooge.

The game begins during flourishing times. The potato was a miracle crop that created prosperity for even the lowest classes. But when the blight arrived, some of its best characteristics became its worst failures. The policies of the English rulers of Ireland made things worse. Millions died, but millions more emigrated to the promised land of America.

This story is an important part of Irish and American history.

Yes, it is dark, but it deserves to be remembered. And I have the family background to tell the tale. My grandfather was born late in the 19th century in County Leitrim in northcentral Ireland. Somehow, his parents and grandparents were able to survive the Great Hunger (Irish: an Gorta Mór), as they call it now. My cousins and I, living in America, and my cousins still living in Ireland, bear testament to this awful period of Irish history. It is ultimately a tale of human perseverance in the face of extreme challenges.

On a 6, the tied player with the most Population blocks on Factories wins.

If the game is still tied, then roll again and check for a winner with the new tie-breaker. If the game is still tied after all tiebreakers are tried, then the winner is determined in reverse turn order (that is, the tied player who went last each turn wins the game).

Designer Notes The potato was introduced into Ireland in 1589, some say, by Sir Walter Raleigh. It was roundly rejected by the people at that time. But through the 1600’s and 1700’s, farmers slowly adopted it. They found that the crop would yield more food calories per acre than the traditional staples of oats, wheat and barley.

English confiscation policies in Ireland forced more and more dependence on potatoes; there was no additional farmland for a more varied diet including other vegetables and grains. They grew what they needed to survive: the potato.

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CREDITS Designed by Kevin McPartland & Jerry Shiles.

Developed by Kurt Hoffman & Paul Brenner.

Game Graphics and Layout by Knut Grünitz Playtesters: Ben, Holly, Rebecca & Andrew Butler; Sarah & Tom Elsea; Karlyn, Kathleen, Kari, John & Jeanne McPartland; Steve Cameron and the Eastern Pennsylvania Gaming Society; and many others too numerous to list.

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The Great Hunger

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EXAMPLE OF PLAY

are placed in piles near the board, with one of each placed in Dublin. The die is set out.

PART 1 - THE GOOD TIMES

Game Set Up

The players determine that Kevin goes first. He takes a Population block from his supply, and places it in Queen’s County (this is adjacent to Kilkenny, where his at-start card gives an advantage). Play proceeds clockwise, with Paul placing a Population in Kerry (where his at-start card gives an advantage). Jerry places a Population in Sligo (adjacent to Mayo) and Kurt places a Population in Armagh (adjacent to Down).

The game board is placed in the middle of the table, and each player takes a Player Mat and places it near the board.

Everyone gets 22 wooden Population blocks, and puts them in Supply on their mats. Each player pushes two Population blocks from supply up to the numbered boxes of their Available Population Blocks section. One of the five at-start cards is dealt to each player, with the fifth card placed back in the box. The deck is constructed as described in the rules, and placed near the board. The English Estates and Factories

The game is now set up, and ready for play.

A FOUR PLAYER GAME The Great Hunger can be played by two, three, four or five players, but this Example of Play will show a four-player game.

The four players are: Kevin (green), Paul (yellow), Jerry (blue) and Kurt (red).

Paul (the third-from-last-player) then places an English Estate in Meath, which is adjacent to Dublin and is far away from his Population. Jerry places an Estate in Kildare, which is adjacent to Dublin, far away from his Population block, and right next to Kevin’s block! Kurt places an Estate in Wicklow, adjacent to Dublin. He could have placed it adjacent to Meath or Kildare, but he wanted it far away from his Population in the north. So he chose to place it south of Dublin.

Kurt

Jerry

(Player 4)

Paul

(Player 1)

(Player 3)

Kevin

(Player 2)

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The Great Hunger

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Turn 1 Kevin pushes two Population blocks up, one each to the 3 and 4 squares on his mat. He rolls a 5, and pushes his one block on the 5 square up to the “Ready for Placement” box on his mat. He immediately snatches it up, and places it in Tipperary (adjacent to his block in Queen’s County). He ends his turn by drawing a card, and passing the die clockwise to Paul.

Paul pushes one block up to the 3 square and one to the 5 square on his mat. He rolls a 1, where there are no Population blocks. Grumbling, he draws a card and passes the die to Jerry.

Jerry pushes one block up to the 4 square and one to the 5 square. He rolls a 4, and places the Population block there in Leitrim (adjacent to Sligo). He draws a card and passes the die to Kurt.

Kurt pushes two blocks up to the 3 and 4 squares on his mat.

He rolls a 6, where there are no Population blocks. Annoyed, he draws a card and passes the die to Kevin.

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Turn 2 Kevin pushes two cubes up to his 2 and 5 squares. He rolls another 5, and places the block there into Waterford. This move cuts off three Counties from the other players. He draws a card and passes the die to Paul.

Paul pushes his cubes up to his 1 and 6 squares, guaranteeing that he gets one cube to place. Rolling a 4, he places the cube in Limerick. He then draws a card.

Jerry pushes both of his cubes up to the 4 box, hoping for a big payout. But he rolls a 2. Shrugging his shoulders, he draws a card and passes the die.

Kurt pushes two cubes up to his 5 and 6 squares, also guaranteeing a cube. He rolls a 3 and places the cube in Monaghan. He then draws a card.

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The Great Hunger Turn 3 Kevin pushes two cubes up to his 1 and 5 squares. He rolls a 2, and places the block there into King’s County. He draws a card.

Paul pushes two cubes up to his 4 square - maybe he’ll roll it again. But he rolls a 1 and places the cube in Clare. He then draws a card.

Jerry pushes both of his cubes up to the 2 box. He rolls a 4, and gets his big payout. Taking the 2 cubes from

his “to be Placed” box, is puts them in Fermanagh and Roscommon. He could have placed his second cube in Donegal, but chose Roscommon to compete with Paul and Kevin for central Ireland. He draws a card.

Kurt pushes two cubes up to his 3 square. He rolls a 2 (so close!) and places one cube in Tyrone. He then draws a card.

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The Great Hunger

Turn 4 Kevin pushes cubes up to his 2 and 6 squares. He rolls a 1, and places the block into Westmeath. He draws a card.

Paul pushes two cubes up to his 1 square - maybe he’ll roll it again. But he rolls a 3 and places one cube in Cork. He then draws a card.

Jerry realizes that it’s very important to get at least one block to place this turn, so he puts one cube in his 4 box and one in his 6 box. He rolls a 6, and places the cube in Donegal. This is important for a card that he holds – see his turn 7. He draws a card.

Kurt pushes cubes up to his 2 and 4 squares. He rolls a 6 and places one cube in Cavan. He then draws a card.

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Turn 5 Kevin pushes cubes up to his 1 and 5 squares. He rolls a 3, and places the block into Galway: he now holds a card - Atlantic Fishermen (#25) - that will help him there. He draws a card.

So he plays a Reaction card, #10 ironically also called Corn Laws.

He picks up Paul’s cube in Kilkenny and returns it to Paul’s 1 box.

Paul draws a card and ends his turn.

Paul pushes two cubes up to his 3 square. He rolls a 1 and places two cubes in his “Ready for Placement” box. He no longer has any empty adjacent Counties to place his blocks! So he plays his Corn Laws card (#9) and takes a block from his Supply and places it in Waterford with Kevin’s block (as allowed by the card). He then takes the two cubes from his “to be Placed” box and places them in Kilkenny and Wexford – both are empty Counties now adjacent to his cube in Waterford. Kevin is startled by this, especially since his At Start card helps him in Kilkenny.

Jerry pushes two cubes up to his 6 box. He rolls a 4, and places the cube in one of the empty Counties adjacent to his Population, Mayo. He draws a card.

Kurt pushes cubes up to his 2 and 6 squares. He rolls a 4 and places one cube in Londonderry (cutting off northern Ireland) and one in Longford. He then draws a card.

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Turn 6 Kevin pushes cubes up to his 3 and 4 squares. He rolls a 6, quickly placing one block in Kilkenny and the other in Carlow (the only other empty adjacent County). He draws a card.

Paul pushes cubes up to his 2 and 5 squares. He rolls a 6 and places one cube in his “to be Placed” box. He still has no empty adjacent Counties to place his block. So he plays his Irish Housekeepers card (#38) allowing him to place the block on the English Estate in Wicklow (adjacent to his block in Wexford). He then draws a card.

Jerry pushes cubes up to his 1 and 4 squares. He rolls a 5, and places one cube in his “to be Placed” box. He now has no empty adjacent Counties to place his

block. So he plays the Accomplished Musicians card (#34) allowing him to place his block in any County with a Port. He chooses Dublin, and places his cube on the empty Factory there. Both Paul and Kevin are disappointed by this. Paul could have simply placed a cube in the empty factory in Dublin on his next turn, since he is now adjacent to it in Wicklow. Kevin had just drawn the Move to Industry card (#17) which would have allowed him to move one of his cubes to the Factory in Dublin on his next turn. Jerry draws a card and ends his turn.

Kurt pushes two cubes up to his 4 square. He rolls a 1 and places a cube in Down. He draws a card.

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Turn 7 Kevin pushes two cubes up to his 6 square. He rolls a 1, and places one cube in his “to be Placed” box. He plays his Atlantic Fishermen card (#25) and places the cube in Galway. He draws a card.

Paul pushes cubes up to his 5 and 6 squares. He rolls a 1 and places one cube in his “to be Placed” box. He plays his Land Reform card (#18) and places his cube on the Estate in Kildare. He then draws a card.

Jerry pushes two cubes up to his 5 square. He rolls a 6, and places two cubes in his “to be Placed” box. First he plays his Currachs (Boats) card (#4) and moves his cube in Donegal to the empty County in Antrim. He then places one of his two cubes “to be Placed” in now empty Donegal. Next he plays his Ulster Linen Industry card (#11) and places a Factory in Londonderry.

He then places his other cube “to be Placed” in the empty Factory adjacent to his cube in Donegal (and Antrim). Finally, he plays his Government Neglect card (#33) and takes a Population block from

his Supply and places it in Louth (to deny this empty County to Kurt). Jerry ends his turn and draws a card.

Kurt pushes cubes up to his 1 and 5 squares. He rolls a 4 and sees that there are no longer any empty Counties in Ireland. So he places his two cubes in his “to be Placed” box. He plays his Protestant Favor card (#35) to place a cube in Down, and his Cultivate Marginal Land card (#2) to place another cube in Down. He then draws a card.

Turn 8 We will take a break at this point in the game. The players have completely filled all of the empty Counties in Ireland with Population cubes. They will all need to play cards to pack more cubes onto the Island, as has already begun. Everything will change when someone draws The Blight Arrives card! We will pick up our story again at that point.

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PART 2 – THE BLIGHT ARRIVES Play continued for several more turns, with more and more Population added to Ireland, and a few people even boarding the Emigrant Ship to America. Then Kurt drew The Blight Arrives card at the end of his turn, dropping it on the table like it was contagious!

Kurt drew the first card from the new Draw Deck. Play resumed with Kevin again going first Play resumed with Kevin again going first.

The new Draw Deck was constructed as described in The Blight Arrives section of the rules. Note that when this is done, everyone keeps the cards that they have in hand. Everyone had Population blocks still on their Player Mats, so these were returned to the box. Everybody flipped their mats over.

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Turn 1 (Post-Blight) Kevin realizes that he’s currently winning the game, and decides not to play any cards that would hurt other players. So he plays his Railroad Ticket card (#22), picks up his Population block in Westmeath, moves it first to the Port in Dublin, and then places it on the Emigrant Ship. (He could pick any of the open squares on the Ship, but he just places it on the next open square down.)

Next, for his one move, he moves one of his Population blocks in Waterford to the Port in Cork, and thus directly onto the Emigrant Ship. He ends his turn by drawing a card, and telling Paul it’s now his turn.

Paul decides to pick on the leader, playing his English Food Exports card (#31) in King’s County. Kevin does not have a Reaction card that can stop this, so he removes his Population block in King’s County and places it on his player mat. Paul places a new English Estate in King’s County. Next, he moves one of his cubes in Kerry to the Port in Limerick (note that Cork would have worked just as well) and onto the Emigrant Ship.

Then he draws a card and tells Jerry it’s his turn.

Jerry continues to pick on the leader, playing his Riding Estates card (#21) in Carlow. Kevin’s Population block there is removed, and another English Estate is placed. He plays another card, his Currachs (Boats) card (#5), moving his block in Donegal to the Port in Antrim, and thus onto the last empty square on the Emigrant Ship. He picks up the die and rolls a 3: Kevin’s block there is removed, and placed on his mat. The other five blocks move to the America box. But Jerry’s not done yet! He discards his Glass Industry Fails card (#19) and moves one of his cubes in Antrim to the port there, and thus onto the Emigrant Ship.

Finally, for his move, he takes one of his cubes in Mayo to the port in Sligo and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

Kurt decides not to play any of his cards now. For his move, he takes one of his cubes in Londonderry and moves it to the Port in Antrim, and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

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Turn 2 (post-Blight) Kevin plays his Middleman Landlords card (#50) to remove Paul’s block in Waterford. Paul decides not to play a Reaction card that could save the cube (figuring it will be more valuable later) and removes the block to his mat. Kevin then plays his Landlord “Improving” card (#55) targeting Cavan. But Kurt plays his Gift of the Blarney Reaction card (#36) so his Population cube is not removed, and the Estate is not placed. Kevin then plays his Irish Stepdancing card (#32) moving his block in Queen’s County to the Port in Cork and onto the Ship. Finally, for his one move, he moves one of his Population blocks in Tipperary to the Port in Cork, and onto the Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

Paul plays his Marginal Land Fails card (#2) targeting one of Kurt’s blocks in Down. Kurt has no more cards to save it, so he removes a cube there and places it on his mat. Paul then moves one of his cubes in Cork to the Port there, and onto the last open

square on the Emigrant Ship. He rolls a 6, and his own cube is placed on his mat. The other five blocks move to the America box.

He draws a card and ends his turn.

Jerry plays his The Earl of Lucan card (#59) in Monaghan. Kurt’s Population block there is removed, and an English Estate is placed. For his move, he takes his cube in Leitrim to the port in Sligo and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

Kurt plays his Starvation Riots card (#37) in Londonderry; Jerry has no response. The Factory there is removed from play. Since there is another cube in Antrim, Jerry’s cube is removed to his mat. For his move, Kurt takes his block in Londonderry to the Port in Antrim, and onto the Ship. Finally he draws one card and ends the whole turn.

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The Great Hunger

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Turn 3 (post-Blight) Kevin plays his Consolidate Parcels card (#27) in Louth. Jerry’s Population block there is removed, and an English Estate is placed. For his move, he takes his block in Tipperary to the port in Cork and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

Jerry plays his Storms: Ships Return card (#48). He moves Kurt’s Population block from the Emigrant Ship to Westmeath, Kevin’s block to Queen’s County, and Paul’s block to Donegal. For his move, he takes his cube in Roscommon to the port in Sligo and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

Paul plays his Luck of the Irish? card (#43) targeting Kurt’s block in Armagh and one of Kevin’s blocks in Galway. Kevin thinks about it, and reluctantly plays his Dúlamán card (#53) saving both blocks. (Note that Kurt’s block in Armagh is saved – Kevin has no choice – even though it’s not even in a coastal County. The Dúlamán card cancels the entire Luck of the Irish? card.)

Paul moves his cube in Kerry to the Port in Limerick and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends his turn.

Kurt plays his Catholic Prejudice card (#35), removing one of Jerry’s blocks in Antrim. He then discards his Leaving County Cork card (#40) figuring he’ll never be able to use its event.

The discard allows him to move his block from Tyrone into empty Londonderry. For his usual move, he takes the cube in Londonderry again, this time to the Port in Antrim, and onto the Emigrant Ship. He draws a card and ends the turn.

Turn 4 We’ll take another break at this point in the game. The game continued for a couple of more turns, with more population making it to America, and others not. © 2025 Compass Games, LLC.

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The Great Hunger

PART 3 – THE BLIGHT ABATES The game ended when Kevin drew The Blight Abates card.

Consulting the rules at The Blight Abates section, one of the players picked up the die and rolled a 5: there were no losses on the Emigrant Ship an all three blocks there were moved into the America box.

All of the players counted their blocks still on the board. Kevin and Paul had ten, while Jerry and Kurt had nine. To break the tie, Kurt rolled the die, getting a 6. Jerry was the only player with a Population block on a Factory, but he was not tied for first. So the die was rolled again, getting a 3. But both Kevin and Paul had four blocks in America, so the game was still tied. Finally, a 5 was rolled; Kevin had more blocks on his graveyard mat, so Paul won the game!

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The Great Hunger

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Selected Event Card Descriptions Currachs (Boats) (#4) Currachs are boats of made in Ireland using traditional techniques for thousands of years. A currach (or curragh) has a thin but sturdy wooden frame with leather (usually cowhide) stretched tightly over it. The outside was coated in wool grease - although now it’s more likely tar. They are used on rivers, lakes and even on the open ocean; they are surprisingly strong and resilient. They will bounce off of obstacles and bend over waves that might sink another boat. The Brendan, a modern replica of a medieval currach, sailed to Newfoundland in 1976.

Corn Laws (#9 & 10) A series of protectionist laws passed by the British Parliament restricted the import of “corn” (grain and other foodstuffs) into Great Britain – including Ireland. These measures protected powerful agricultural interests in England, but raised the price of basic necessities like bread and milk to unaffordable levels. They were eventually repealed during the famine, but by then the damage was done.

The Gregory Clause (#10) An act of Parliament set up workhouses to provide help for the poor; they were designed to be harsh to deter all but the truly destitute from seeking relief. But William H. Gregory, the British Chief Secretary of Ireland, had an even better idea. He added a clause to the act that forced people to give up their homes and land in order to access this aid, leading to further destitution and homelessness.

Choctaw Nation (#13) Moved by the plight of the Irish, the Choctaw Nation which had been forced off of its lands and to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears, took up a collection and raised $170 to help purchase food.

Beginning in 1990 the Choctaw Nation and the Republic of Ireland have been involved in a series of exchanges to celebrate and strengthen these bonds.

Gift of the Blarney (#36) Someone who has a talent for persuasive speech - and not necessarily entirely sincere – is said to have this gift. There is a stone in Blarney Castle in County Cork said to bestow this talent on those who kiss the stone. The card illustration is a typical stereotype of the time, the pretty Irish girl: simple and plain, but beguiling.

County Leitrim (#41) Kevin’s paternal grandfather was born in County Leitrim, in the hills above Dowra. Their small stone cottage had a thatch roof and no plumbing well into the 20th century. The family is not certain how their ancestors made it through the Great Hunger, but they somehow managed.

Ottoman Sultan (#44) There is a story that the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire was so moved by the situation in Ireland that he wished to make a large donation. “You cannot do this”, he was advised. “Queen Victoria donated much less than this.” Grudgingly, he only matched her donation. But there is a legend that, some months later, three

ships sailed unannounced into an Irish port. Men wearing turbans unloaded heaps of food aid onto the dock, and then quietly sailed away.

“Indian Corn” Aid (#45) In Great Britain, the term “corn” refers to cereal grains like wheat, barley or oats. What Americans call corn, they call maize or Indian corn. The United States shipped quantities of this food to Ireland during the famine, but the Irish were not familiar with it and didn’t know how to prepare it. Distribution of was poorly managed, and some shipments were sold for profit. But the Irish found ways to cook the Indian corn that did come through, so that they could eat it, often in creative ways.

Dúlamán (#53) Dúlamán is a popular folk song about the gathering of a particular type of seaweed that would wash up on the coasts of Ireland. In good times, it could be spread on the fields in winter and allowed to compost, enriching the soil for spring planting. It could also be used as livestock fodder. And if necessary, during difficult times, it could be cooked and eaten..

Sir Charles Trevelyan (#58) British official in charge of administering relief during the famine, he believed strongly that the famine was a good way to sort out Ireland‘s problems. He believed that if the British government were too generous that the Irish would just become dependent and it would interfere with trade and commerce and then where would we be. His dedication to laissez-faire policies would perhaps be more understandable if not for the fact that his response to the famine which occurred in Scotland was to ensure that as few people starved as possible even if it did interfere with trade.

Not saying he was anti-Irish, but yeah he totally was.

The Earl of Lucan (#59) The Third Earl of Lucan (George Bingham) was given the nickname “The Exterminator” for his actions during the famine. He evicted thousands from his lands and demolished hundreds of houses so as not to “breed paupers to pay priests”. He later became even more infamous for his actions during the Crimean War where he earned another charming sobriquet as “Lord Look-on” and was involved in the debacle that was the Charge of the Light Brigade. In more recent times his great great grandson disappeared after a murder and has never been found. If only the third Earl had ...

Daniel O‘Connell (#54) Irish landowner and politician who was instrumental in Irish emancipation efforts (giving Catholics the vote) and creating a mass movement. Was older by the time of the famine and had failed in his attempt to bring self-rule through an Irish Parliament back (which had been lost in the Act of Union 1800).

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The Great Hunger List of Counties County

Location

Notes

Province *

Antrim Armagh Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Donegal Down Dublin Fermanagh Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny King’s Cnty Leitrim Limerick Londonderry Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Queen’s County Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Tyrone Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow

55° N, 6° W 54.25° N, 6.5° W 52.75° N, 7° W 54° N, 7.25° W 52.75° N, 9° W 52° N, 8.5° W 55° N, 8° W 54.25° N, 6° W 53.5° N, 6° W 54.25° N, 7.5° W 53.5° N, 9° W 52° N, 9.5° W 53.25° N, 7° W 52.5° N, 7.25° W 53.25° N, 7.5° W 54.25° N, 8° W 52.5° N, 9° W 55° N, 6.75° W 53.75° N, 7.5° W 54° N, 6.25° W 54° N, 9° W 53.5° N, 6.5° W 54.25° N, 7° W 53° N, 7.5° W 53.75° N, 8° W 54.25° N, 8.5° W 52.5° N, 8° W 54.5° N, 7° W 52.25° N, 7.5° W 53.5° N, 7.5° W 52.5° N, 6.5° W 53° N, 6.25° W

Coastal; Port; on Lough Neagh Not coastal; on Lough Neagh Coastal Coastal; Port Coastal Coastal; on Lough Neagh Coastal; Port Coastal Coastal Coastal Not coastal Now Offaly Coastal Not coastal; Port Coastal; on Lough Neagh Coastal Coastal Coastal Now Laois Coastal; Port On Lough Neagh Coastal Coastal Coastal

Ulster Ulster Leinster Ulster Munster Munster Ulster Ulster Leinster Ulster Connacht Munster Leinster Leinster Leinster Connacht Munster Ulster Leinster Leinster Connacht Leinster Ulster Leinster Connacht Connacht Munster Ulster Munster Leinster Leinster Leinster

Lough Neagh is in Ulster Province, at 54.5°N, 6.25° W * Province information is purely historical and has no in-game effect.

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