School: Cross (roll number 13141)
- Location:
- Cross South, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Mártan Ó Colmáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0241, Page 174
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- Mar'38 The Famine
Tragic and heart rending are the tales told of the effects of the famine and its aftermath. We are told our district suffered devastation as it swept mercilessly over the country.
In '46 the potato crop decayed in the ground from the blight caused by foggy weather. At that time the potatoes were sown in May. At all events they say '46 was bad, but in'47 the potato stalks were completely cut off the ground by the terrific blight, with the result that there was no seed for next year. One man in the neighbourhood saved two creels of small potatoes which he afterwards sold at £1 per cwt.
This district was thickly populated about that time but in '48 and '47 they died like flies. I have heard it said that the famine itself did not account for as many deaths as a disease known as dysentary, caused by, using too much Indian meal as food. This meal was supplied by the English Government and(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Nan Coleman
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Cross South, Co. Roscommon
- Informant
- Dudley Costello
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 60
- Address
- Creggan, Co. Roscommon
- Informant
- Nano Costello
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 60
- Address
- Creggan, Co. Roscommon
