School: Swords (B.) (roll number 755)
- Location:
- Swords, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: A. Hamill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0789, Page 137
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- XML “The Famine Times”
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- The great famine took place in the years 1846 and 1847. It affected this district very much because a lot of potatoes were always grown around this district. The famine happened when germs came on the potato stalks and rotted them. The potatoes then rotted in the ground. The famine soon spread through all Ireland. There was plenty of other food in the country but it had to be paid to the landlords as rent, instead of money. The people were so hungry they were often glad to eat raw turnips and weeds. There was a lot of sickness and starvation. A great lot of people died of hunger, and lots of the survivors emigrated to England and America. Before the famine the population of Ireland was 8 millions, but after it the population was only 4 millions.
- Collector
- Patrick Ryan
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- North Street, Co. Dublin
- Informant
- Peter Ryan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 40
- Address
- North Street, Co. Dublin
