The Great Famine, Great Hunger, or Great Famine is the name given to the famine in Ireland between 1845 and 1852. Outside Ireland, it is usually called the Irish Potato Famine. The famine was caused by "the potato blight", a fungus-like organism which quickly destroyed the potatoes in Ireland, and throughout Europe. The effect was particularly severe in Ireland because potatoes were the main source of food for most Irish people at the time.