School: Cill Chais, Cluain Meala (roll number 596)
- Location:
- Kilcash, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Pádraig Ó Dubhghail
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0568, Page 252
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- XML School: Cill Chais, Cluain Meala
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- XML “The Famine”
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- The years of 1846 and -47 are known as the years of the Famine. It was caused by the failure of the potato crop - the potatoes were destroyed by the blight and rotted in the ground. It affected the poor people as their staple food was potatoes, and so when the potatoes failed they had nothing to eat. The wheat was being exported out of the country and in the poorer districts there was no wheat grown, so flour was very scarce.The famine affected this district very much particularly the mountain district of Toor. Toor was very thickly populated before these years of famine and ruins of old houses are to be seen to this day. There is a big rock or stone in the middle of a large field in Toor and it is called "Cholereen". It is probable that under this rock or in this field people were buried during these times of famine, especially those who died of Cholera. Their principal food was yellow meal and even of that they had not enough. The poor people sold their piece of land in those days(continues on next page)
- Collector
- C. Ní Mhainnín
- Gender
- Female
