School: Kilrush (roll number 14039)
- Location:
- Ballynaberney, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: C. E. Kidd
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0895, Page 257
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- 257Famine Days.The famine in 1846-1847 affected my home district very much. There was twice the population and there were a great many cottagers looking for work on the local farms. There are about six houses now in ruins which were occupied during the famine days.
The potato crop failed for about three years, but in 1845 it failed altogether.
Nearly in every district the crop decayed in the ground. The people ate stirabout instead of potatoes. They also picked wild plants, and boiled them with turnips. If a man had a large family he stayed out late at night because he did not like to hear them cry with hunger. The Government supplied the meal to make the stirabout, and stirabout houses were put up in all districts.
There was one at Mr. Byrne's of Tomanoole, and at Mr. Purcell's in my home district
The Government gave work to a great many labourers The road that we live on was made in the time of the famine. This road, which is called(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Robert Masterson
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Tomanoole, Co. Wexford
- Informant
- Henry Masterson
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 56
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Tomanoole, Co. Wexford
