What did Joe Rogan and Colum Tyrrell say about the Irish famine?

Colum Tyrrell blamed the British for the Irish famine. He said Catholics were pushed onto poor land where only potatoes grew, so the blight wiped out their food while other produce kept being shipped to Britain. A lookup read on air put the toll at about one million deaths and two million emigrants between 1845 and 1852. It added that grain imports also rose, and that Lord John Russell's government made the disaster worse. Tyrrell said many Irish people would find even that account too kind to the British government.

• Tyrrell suggested the famine may explain why Irish families dwell on bad news at dinner.
• Tyrrell said the history of being pushed off the land is why many Irish people side with Palestinians.
• The pair discussed the idea that descendants of famine survivors carry genes that store calories more efficiently.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Joe Rogan Experience (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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