A flute is a type of aerophone, as is the Eunuch flute, also referred to as a mirliton. A flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of HornbostelâSachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones. Aside from the voice, flutes are the earliest known musical instruments.
British colonial policies before and during the crisis exacerbated the effects of the potato blight, leading to mass death by starvation and disease. For example, in March of 1847, at the time of the Choctaw donation, 734,000 starving Irish people were forced to labor in public works projects in order to receive food. Little wonder that survivors referred to the year as âBlack â47.â.
The potato was the staple food of Ireland at the time, with most of the population relying on it for much of their diet. Poor people who lived in rural areas tended to eat potatoes almost exclusively. From 1845 to 1849 a plant disease caused the potato crops in Ireland to fail, year after year.