School: Baile Dubh, (C.) (roll number 15541)

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1. The Famine

   

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   The famine in my district during the years 46-47 was a dreadful time in the history of the people. It was during that time that the blight came on the potatoes and destroyed them. At that time all the districts were thickly populated and the people had nothing to eat but potatoes and skim milk to drink with them, so when the potatoes were destroyed by the blight the people died of starvation. They tried to escape with their lives out of the country to America or New Zealand. It was often the whole family emigrated to America. They used to sell their stock and what they made out of the stock would pay their passage to America or New Zealand. In every townland there was a kind of village, it was often there were about ten houses together and only a couple of acres of land going with each house. Those couple of acres were tilled and potatoes planted and whatever crops they would want for the cattle as oats, turnips and mangolds were set in them also, while cattle and horses were driven out on the mountain to graze. When the families emigrated, there remained

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   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Helen Forde

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Garrison, Co. Waterford

   Informant

   John Walshe

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   60

   Address

   Coolishal, Co. Waterford