School: Drom Clúmhach (Dromclogh) (roll number 16246)

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1. Penal Times and Famine (continued)

   

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   The Soup-house field in Bantry got its name because during the time of the Famine there was a man living there called Conn O'Leary who used give out soup to the poor. He had a man named Donnchadh Lehane employed for giving out the soup. A complaint was sent in that he was not giving out the soup to the poor people. Someone heard of it and went and told Conn O'Leary. One day he took all the goods he had for the poor people, put them into a big car and threw them into the sea for he was afraid that he would be caught. During the time of the Famine a lot of people in this district suffered from hunger and fever caused by hunger. The potatoes did not grow larger than marbles that year. When these were eaten the people were starving. Some of the people killed and ate their children. Others killed and ate all kinds of animals. A lot of the old people died because they could not eat the meat of the animals and the children. The people were badly clothed that time too. The people used root up the seed potatoes for food. They used also dig up tillage in the hope of finding old potatoes. They often had sweed turnips for food but mostly they lived on porridge.

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   Topics

   1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
         1. the great famine (~4,013)
         2. penal times (~4,335)

   Language

   English