School: Loughanvally (roll number 8363)
- Location:
- Loughanavally, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Mrs. O'Connor
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0742, Page 267
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- XML “Famine Times”
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- During the famine in Ireland people suffered a lot of hardship. Previous to the famine there were 8,500,000 people in Ireland while in 1850 there were only half that number. All of these people were poor as any money they earned went to pay the rent.
In 1845 the potatoe crop failed; all over the country. A brown spot appeared on the potatoe leaves. Later the stem became brittle and fell away. The people did not know what to put on the crop so they all died. Now a days when the blight appears in any district the crop is immediately sprayed with a chemical mixture.
The year 1847 was much worse than the year before and it was called "black forty seven". The people died in the fields and on the road-sides and in their houses. During this year poor houses were built and a lot of people went into them.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Maureen Egan
- Gender
- Female
