School: Balrath (1) (roll number 9770)
- Location:
- Balrath, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: C. Ní Pharthaláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0719, Page 233
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On this page
- (continued from previous page)them "Keep to him" !
During the Famine hundreds of people died in this district and they were buried without coffins. This was the first time Indian Meal was used in Ireland.
The "soupers" of Coole used to tell all the children to come to them on Fridays and they would give them soup and meat. Hence the verse- "Mayne" - Coole, high steeple,
Poor town and proud people,
They sold their souls for penny rolls,
For soup and "hairy" bacon."The "soupers" thought that by doing this the children would lose their faith.
After a while the Government employed men to boil big boilers of "stir-a-bout" into which they put bread-soda so that the people could not eat too much of it. The people used to eat their fill of this and it killed many of them.
At the time of the famine when food would be getting scarce the people would cast lots to see who should live. The person on whom the lot fell got the food. The rest waited and longed for death.
One man reared eleven children(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Miss Fagan
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Teacher
- Address
- Newtown, Co. Westmeath
