School: Gort na Mara (Seafield) (roll number 11565)

Location:
Donaghintraine, Co. Sligo
Teacher:
Bean Uí Ghathaigh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0168, Page 125

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0168, Page 125

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  1. XML School: Gort na Mara (Seafield)
  2. XML Page 125
  3. XML “The Famine”

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  1. In 1847 the year of the Famine an old woman named Crean who lived in Castleconnor died with hunger. Her daughter carried her in a sheet on her back to bury her in Kilmasshalgan graveyard. Dromore West, Co. Sligo. At the time Willie Ruttledge kept a shop in Dromore West beside where Miss Devaney's public house is now. He sold bread in the shop. When the girl reached Dromore West she rested the corpse outside Ruttledge's door, he gave her a crust of a loaf to eat and when she had eaten it she fainted. After a while she came to herself and told him she had eaten no food in 4 days. Mickey Donnelly. Dromore West. helped her to make the grave and bury the corpse.
    That same night William Hark of Ballykilcash, Dromore West. Henry Brett of Dunowla, Dromore West and John Cunningham Dooneil, Dromore West who was a soldier in the English Army met in a "Shebeen" house. They talked about a soldier's courage. The soldier and "we fear nothing" This happened at 12 o'clock at night. Brett said "I bet you
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
        1. the great famine (~4,013)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    John Dowd
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    56
    Address
    Dromore West, Co. Sligo