School: Seana-chaiseal, Maghcromtha (roll number 12510)

Location:
Shanacashel, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Seán Ó Riagáin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0340, Page 125

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0340, Page 125

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  1. Many stories are told of the terrible effects of the famine of '47 & '48. The following stories were related by a man now dead. He was the eldest of a family of eight and was only 12 years at the time of the terrible visitation. The whole family were stricken down with fever. Fever was then raging in the country. They were laid up for a fortnight; and how they got through he couldn't explain, as not one of the family was able to see to the wants of the others, and neighbours, who were not themselves stricken, were terrified of visiting any place where the disease was known to exist. He thinks, they owed their lives to the occasional secret visit of a kind aunt. At the start of the sickness, they happened to have a good supply of Indian meal and some flour stored in. Being the first to be knocked up himself, he was the first to recover, and after looking round him, he found that all the provisions had been stolen except some small share of meal and flour.
    About midday of the first day that he was able to get out of bed, a poor man came almost creeping into the yard begging for something to eat. His face and lips were green from the juice of nettles and herbs which he had tried to eat to keep
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    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English