School: Inis (B.) (roll number 15042)

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1. The Famine

   

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   The famine took place in the year 1848. The people in Ireland were living chiefly on potatoes at that time. The potato crop failed on account of the blight and the people starved to death.
   The people lived for a while on indian meal and herbs. They had even to eat grass and nettles, But when they were evicted from their farms they had not even the grass or nettles to eat. When the people died they were buried in a big pit and lime thrown over them.
   The famine affected the Catcholics more than the protestants. The protestants tried to make the Catholics pervert. The way this was done was the Protestants built soup-kitchens and when the Catholics perverted they gave them the soup.
   Some of the people starved to death rather than turn Protestants. The men in charge of these soup-kitchens were called "soupers". There were soup-kitchens in Ennis were called at that time.
   Half the population died, or went to America in order to be saved from the famine. After the famine the work-houses were built. The people of to-day do not like to go into the work-houses on account of their bad name.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Joseph Ryan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Clonroad More, Co. Clare

   Informant

   Joseph Nightingale

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Lysaght's Lane, Co. Clare

   Informant

   Joseph Ryan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Clonroad More, Co. Clare

   Informant

   Patrick Tierney

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Ennis, Co. Clare