School: Béal Dearg (roll number 11582)

Location:
Belderg More, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Pádraig Mac Conghamhna

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Féar Gortach

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0139, Page 427

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At certain parts of the road and in certain places on the mountain the féar gortac is to be found. It is a weakness accompanied by a terrible longing for food which comes over one even though it may be but a short time since eating. I experienced the féar gortach on two or three occasions myself. The worst experience I had was around 1927 when teaching in Rossport.
I left home in Belderrig one summers evening after a substantial dinner. The journey to Rossport usually took me an hour and a quarter and I was never ready for a meal for a couple of hours after arriving. This evening in question when I was at Muingnabo I began to get hungry and weak. A terrible longing for food came over me and I thought if I had one mouthful of anything to eat I should be all right. I got into such a state that I was not able to cycle and walked the last three miles at a snail's pace like a man in the last

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Language
English