School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 041
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- This district was very thickly populated. For every two houses which stand now there were six at that time. In 1845 the blight appeared but did not cause much harm. In 1846 all the crops were destroyed and the popatoes which remained were very few. The people began to die in their houses for want of food eating every potato which was to be found as well as grass and nettles. As all the potatoes were all eaten there was a deficiency of seed for the next year. Those who had any seed sowed it but the crop was totally destroyed by the blight the next year. The people dug out the best part of the crop and left the rest there. The people who were starving came and scraped the ground looking for one or two potatoes.The people ate the last of the potatoes and they then started to eat grass and nettles. This was not sufficient to keep the life in them and they died in hundreds in their houses and on the roadsides. A terrible disease known as "Black Fever" broke out in the district and spread at a very fast rate. The number of deaths multiplied. The people were to be seen lying on the roadsides, their mouths green from eating grass.Michael Maxwell who lived(continues on next page)
