School: Com Liath (Scoil Brighde) (roll number 8924)

Location:
Coomleagh West, Co. Cork
Teacher:
Muircheartach Ó Cróinín
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0282, Page 521

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0282, Page 521

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  1. In 1846 the potatoes rotted in the pits. Then in '47 the blight came so that they had nothing but Creacain (small potatoes). In '48 the crop surpassed expectation but of course thousands were dead before the end of August when the potatoes were fit to dig. About nine hundred dead bodies were thrown into the famine pit in Bantry. The famine and fever victims of the Mealagh district were buried in the Cloonygorman Cillíneach. There is an account of at least one man living alone in Manning's land of Glenbanoo who died of fever. He had no friends to take his corpse to the Cillineach so the neighbours only pulled the Botán down on him, and left him there. Many of the victims were buried in the Killmocomogue (?) graveyard also.
    A man nick-named Pad Bruser was employed drawing the dead bodies of the town and its neighbourhood to the famine pit at the Abbey Bantry. He had a specially constructed coffin for the purpose. When he reached the pit he drew a bolt and the bottom opened on hinges and the corpse dropped out. Then he took away the coffin for the next corpse.
    At that time a family in Glengariff got a few pounds from America. The men of the house were already stricken with the fever so the Bean a' Tighe came walking to Bantry to buy some food with
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
        1. the great famine (~4,013)
    Language
    English