School: Rathcoyle, Kiltegan
- Location:
- Rathcoyle Lower, Co. Wicklow
- Teacher: Aodh Ó Broin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0920, Page 208
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- XML “Famine Times”
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- One of the greatest calamities that ever occurred in Ireland was the famine. The famine was caused by a disease called the "blight" which appeared on the potatoe crop in the Autumn of 1845. This was the first time that the "blight" had ever been seen in Ireland before. The majority of the Irish people were very poor, and their chief food was potatoes. The corn crop of this year was an abundant one, but still the people could not keep it because they had to sell it to get money to pay their rents. The blight caused the potatoes to blacken and become unfit for use. Some of the people put the potatoes in pits hoping in this way to save them but it was of no use. The famine caused a terrible disease known as "famine fever". Numbers died with this disease, while many more died from sheer starvation. Many emigrated to America but some of them died before reaching it, and others died when they landed. A(continues on next page)
- Informant
- John Shiel
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 60
- Address
- Carrignamweel, Co. Wicklow
