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School: Meelick (roll number 14592)

Location:
Meelick, Co. Roscommon
Teacher:
Gearóid Ó Conchobhair
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0240, Page 328

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0240, Page 328

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  3. XML “Famine Times”

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  1. Famine Times

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    The people in this district suffered very much from starvation during the famine period. The potatoes were the people's chief food during that time. To their misfortune when they had the potatoes gathered in holes in the field, they rotted and soon starvation broke out among the people. The people of this district had to eat Indian dry meal, and oaten meal porridge, and the people who could get this food thought themselves lucky, but very few could afford it. Many of the local people had to live on one meal daily. In this district it was usual to see children eating boiled nettles and weeds to satisfy their hunger. None of the people of this district died of plague during the famine. During that period potatoes used [to] be sown in ridges or in flat beds as they were
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
        1. the great famine (~4,013)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Winnie Doherty
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Cloonmaul, Co. Roscommon
    Informant
    Pat Kelly
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Cloonmaul, Co. Roscommon