School: Cromán (B.) (roll number 12820)
- Location:
- Cromane, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Stiophán Ó Cobhthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0437, Page 007
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- The Famine
The famine of 1847 affected the people of this locality considerably.
They had no food to eat owing to the failure of the potatoes.
People came from long distances to the seashore to try to catch fish or even shellfish.
Some of the people suffered so much from hunger that they were compelled to eat the seaweed.
They also suffered from many different diseases and most of them died.
But they got some relief from the Board of Works such as road-making and they worked on the roads for very small pay for a few shillings a week and with that they bought yellow meal.
The people of the inland parts of Iveragh flocked to the sea-shore and erected bothogs.
These were frail little houses about three or four feet high which they erected against a ditch.
They had nothing to eat but fish which they caught.
They gathered cockles, mussles and perrywinkles and then boiled them in the bothog.
Sometimes when the tide was in they dug the tillage six or seven times.
When they had the shellfish cooked they threw the shells outside the door.
That is why there are so many heaps of shells to be found inland to-day.John Shea. VI Rang.
ó m'athair Padraig Ó Séaghdha,
Na Dúmhdha, 51 bl.
- Collector
- John Shea
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Dooaghs, Co. Kerry
- Informant
- Pádraig Ó Séaghdha
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 51
- Address
- Dooaghs, Co. Kerry
