School: Westland (roll number 8428)

Location:
Donore, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Mrs E.J. Roberts
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0706, Page 337

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0706, Page 337

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  3. XML “The Famine”

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  1. The greatest Famine time that ever came to Ireland was in 1846 and 1847.
    The potatoes failed and the other crops were very scarce. A great many people died of hunger. The only food to be got was turnips and mangolds, and they were very hard to get also.
    It was only a very rich man could get tobacco.
    It was known of ten men to get a smoke out of one pipe at the one time. They put the man with the pipe in the middle of them and four sat one side and five the other side. They got nine straws that were burst in the heart, and they man with the pipe pulled it, and they had a straw from each other's mouth and then they all pulled and the smoke went round from one to the other till they all got a smoke.
    The district was very largely populated and those that got away with their lives thought themselves very lucky. There came relief from the Government but it was very hard to supply every one's need.
    There was a man named Cole who had fifteen children. They had to go to bed two nights running without a bit to eat, but the relief came the next morning and he got four stone of Indian meal, and himself and his family lived. Some of his sons are very rich today.
    There are a lot of houses now in ruins that were then occupied.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Mr W. Ormiston
    Relation
    Parent
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Mullagh, Co. Cavan