School: Cloonsarn (roll number 16025)
- Location:
- Lisgillock Glebe, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Peter Kilkenny
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0221, Page 703
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- (continued from previous page)died before a fortnight was over. Oh, I know his old soul is in the Eternal Flames for it now. For he was a cruel murderer.""Well Michael" said I, " I suppose you saw some hard sad sights in that awful time."
"Yes, I did" said Michael, "I saw often twenty people and more day after day, begging a bit to eat, at my father's house. At first, my mother gave them, each and every one, as much as they could eat. Soon, experience taught her, that that was not right. Some of those unfortunate people might not have got food for several days; and when one of these would get a full meal he or she would not leave off the street alive. A full meal would squeeze the life out of them. Several died on our own street."
"How did you manage to bury them?"
"Well", said Michael, "There was a "SLIP COFFIN" there beyond at the Cross Road that is at "Campbell's Point" between the townlands of Aughavas and Corranary. Now, when one would die like that or any poor person whose relatives were not able to buy a coffin, this "SLIP COFFIN" was taken from the Cross Roads, the corpse put into it, and brought to the graveyard. A grave was made, the coffin was brought along side, the bottom drawn, and the corpse dropped into the grave, which was then closed in. After that the coffin was left back for the next who might want it.(continues on next page)
