School: Stackallen (roll number 1309)

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1. Famine Times

   

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   The famine did not affect this part of the country much. There were only two sorts of potatoes in the country at the time of the famine called Lumpers and Cups. The first year the famine did not affect the country much as the people had money and meal to fall back on. The potato crop failed again in '47 with the result that thousands died throughout the country. In this district, Stackallen, the relief works that were started were lowering the steep hills of the roads and filling the hollows. There were three hills lowered in this district, in Faganstown, Shalvenstown and Gernonstown. The work lasted for two years. The wages the men got was ten pence a day. The price of a stone of indian meal in the shops was 2/8/1/2 so that a man could not get two stone for his weeks wages. The men were so exhausted that a number of them died at their work. One man died working at Faganstown from the effects of hunger and another man died at Gernonstown from the same cause. The famine continued on until '48 and the affects of it were in the country for many years after. All that did not die with hunger

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Philomena Tighe

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Rochestown, Co. Meath

   Informant

   Mickey Creegan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Faganstown, Co. Meath