School: Clais, Athea (roll number 15100)
- Location:
- Keale, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Liam Ó Súilleabháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0485, Page 168
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- XML Page 168
- XML “Famine Times”
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- The famine did great destruction in this district. The famine year was called the black 47. It is said that there was 9 million people in this country before the famine. It reduced the population by three millions, some of them died along the roads of fever and starvation. There is a ruin still to be see in Mrs. Woulfe's land Clash where John Enright used to live in the famine times. The blight affected the potato stalks and the potatoes rotted in the ground. It is said to have started in Mayo.
About twenty families lived in Jim White's land Cool who died during the famine. Some well to do farmers had sign posts up on the gates of the turnip fields with these words written on them: If a needy traveller wants a turnip he can take one very needy take two but if you will take the third I will take you. After the famine years the potatoes seed was brought into the country from Scotland. The potatoes were not sown broadcast on the ground they were sown in raised ridges. Instead of the potatoes the rich people had meat milk and oat(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary O' Connell
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Cornelius O' Connell
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 52
- Address
- Clash North, Co. Limerick
