School: Cúl Chaonaig (Coolkenney) (roll number 14631)
- Location:
- Culkeeny, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: S. Ó Coigligh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1122, Page 347
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- XML School: Cúl Chaonaig (Coolkenney)
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- XML “Famine Times”
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- The famine started in the year 1846 and it lasted for three years. There were no potatoes those years. The people had some corn but they had to send the corn to England to pay the rent.
One or two had potatoes but they were very bad. Anyone who saved seed and set it after the Famine had good potatoes.
There were men who although they dug all day all could not get enough potatoes to give them their dinner at night. Some people were so hungry that they ate green grass to keep them living.
Lots died during the Famine. The people were not able to get a coffin for every one that died. When anyone got a coffin it did for every one that died round there.
There was a clasp on it, when the people reached the grave they opened the coffin and let the corpse drop into the grave. They would take home the coffin.
There was a place in Carrowmore Malin where they used to rest on their way to Lagg. It is called the Kennan Knowe because the people used to cry over the corpse there.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Maggie J. Mc Laughlin
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Drumcarbit, Co. Donegal
- Informant
- Pat Mc Lean
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Drumcarbit, Co. Donegal
