School: Leitir Mhic an Bhaird (Robertson) (roll number 15283)

Location:
Leitir Mhic an Bhaird, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
Nábla Nic Amhlaidhe
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1054, Page 408

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1054, Page 408

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  1. XML School: Leitir Mhic an Bhaird (Robertson)
  2. XML Page 408
  3. XML “The Famine”

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  1. Mrs Boyle of Rooskey remembers her father telling stories about the Famine. He was 90 years when he died and he is dead about 17 years.
    During the Famine years the people pulled the leaves of the trees boiled them and ate them with salt.
    She heard him say that when he was a boy his father was working on the roads - the relief work - They got 30 per day and feed themselves. He used to have to go with his father's dinner - which was a gogin of porridge. He often met people who were starving with hunger from Cleengort and they would beg him to even give them a mouthful out of the gogin. He told that several times he had to come home again crying as they had it all devoured before he knew and he would have to get it filled for his father again.
    When people died of starvation those years many of them were buried near the place they died as their relations were not able to take them to the graveyard as they were in such a weak state.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Nábla Nic Amhlaidhé
    Gender
    Female
    Occupation
    Múinteoir
    Informant
    Mrs Boyle
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Roosky, Co. Donegal