They didn't steal the cattle, but the facts were bad enough. The cattle and other foodstuffs were transported legally as hundreds of thousands of Irish died from starvation. There were organizations in England that tried to help the Irish as the famine took it's toll, but it was too little too late. On a recent trip to Ireland, my wife and I saw hundreds of these long since deserted "famine houses" that dot the Irish countryside especially in the west and southwest. It lent sort of sad, eerie quality to what was otherwise a wonderful trip.
Having said that, the Irish who left to fight Hitler should be honored. Even if they deserted to do it.
“huge quantities of food were exported from Ireland to England throughout the period when the people of Ireland were dying of starvation.” Irish exports of calves, livestock (except pigs), bacon and ham actually increased during the famine.