School: Carnadough (B.), Newtowncashel

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1. Tales of the Famine (continued)

   

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   The famine will never be forgotten, because it is handed down from one generation to another. It was wickedneas and sin that brought on the famine. In these times there was a remnant of wicked people in this country, especially along the mail car route. They used to waylay innocent people going about their busineas. In these times a lot of people used to go to England from the west of Ireland, trying to make a living. They used to start on shanks mare and according as they would be getting tired, they would employ men with horses and carts to drive them say ten miles for a certain sum of money and when they were a certain distance they would be dragged off these carts by a party of men who wanted to get the same job and they were often badly hurt. Well the wrath of god turned on them; and he sent the famine. The potato crop failed it was the staple food of the people in those times, In November 1845 the first black potato was seen. And the next year they were all black. It was terrible to think that a labouring man, could exist and work on a dinner of black Spuds. The British Government got relief consisting of indian meal, and full grown people got one pound each and the youngsters got a half-pound of meal. "Well there was a store in each parish, where the meal was given out, and a foreman for calling each person's name." Well he would shout so loud that he could be heard half a mile away, and no matter how many was in each house-hold, each one of them had to go for their own allowance. All the meal would be boiled in

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Tomás Ó Féicin

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Caltragh More, Co. Longford

   Informant

   Michael Sweeney

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Derrygowna, Co. Longford