School: Cluain Catha (roll number 16291)
- Location:
- Clooncah, Co. Roscommon
- Teachers: Dll. Ó Módhráin Ss. Mac Eoghain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0252, Page 431
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- The Famine Times
Every person in Ireland knows about the
''famine times.'' This was when the potato crop failed in 1846 and 1847 and as the potato was the chief crop of the people in Ireland at that time, many died of sickness and starvation. The people did not seem to know what was the cause of the blight but the potatoes rotted in the ground before they had a chance to dig them.
This district was very thickly populated before the famine but many died during it so it must have affected this district greatly. Great sickness also followed the famine.
The people still point out several sites of houses in this district that were then occupied
but are now in ruins. Potatoes were brought in from other countries for seed for the following year. These potatoes were sown the same as nowadays in ridges and drills.
The Government relief reached this(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Rita Sweeney
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Clooncah, Co. Roscommon
- Informant
- Michael Sweeney
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 72
- Address
- Ballyduffy, Co. Roscommon
