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

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1. The Famine (continued)

   

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   only one or two families and these got all the land the others left after them and they made out-houses for cattle of the dwellings that were left. So when the famine came and the potatoes were destroyed by the blight, the people used to boil cornkale and eat it, so that fever spread among the people and when they died their lips were green, they also used to eat grass. When the Government sent Indian meal all over the district this improved the health of the people a little.
   This Indian meal was given out in Ballyduff by people of the name of Tobins. They got it from the Government and it is told that on Fridays, poor people would be seen coming to the village with little bowls in their hands to get their share of the meal. It was pitiful to see them crawling with weakness to the village dispensary to get the meal.
   The districts around here were very thickly populated at that time and the ruins of the houses are still to be seen.
   In some places the potatoes were blighted in the ground and never dug up.
   They were extra plentiful the year before so

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   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