School: Cor na Fola (C.) (roll number 3604)

On this page

1. Famine Times (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   then they used to carry them out in the coffin and they used to come to the trench they would open the bottom of the coffin and let the corpse drop down. There are several ruins in this district. On some farms there are ten or twelve old ruins which were occupied the time of the famine. The old people say that there were twenty six families in my village the time of the famine and now there are five. Some say it was foreign seed that first caused the blight in this country. How the blight was noticed first was black spots on the leaves of the potato stalks. Then the stalk would be completely withered away in a few days. Then under the stalks there would be very small potatoes and they would be all black. Very few people sowed them the next year. But those who sowed them, sowed them broadcast like grain. The food the people had instead was oatmeal and wheatmeal. The Government aid reached the district but it was very little availed. The year after the famine the railway was made from Athlone to Ballinasloe, and the first engine that ran from Athlone to Ballinasloe was called Juno.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
         1. the great famine (~4,013)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridie Macken

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Lisdillure, Co. Roscommon