School: Inch, Borris

On this page

1. Famine Times (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   many places that are now in ruins that once human habitations. In the townland of Goolin there are three ruins. In a field of John Ryan's there is an old ruin. The old people say it was a man named Sullivan that lived there.

   There is another ruin by the side of the road in a field of James Coady's and it is said that a man named Daly lived there. During the famine years those people died or emigrated to America.

   The people who died at home were buried uncoffened in trenches. In 1846 the blight came on the potatoes and only a few potatoes came under each stalk. When those potatoes were put into the pits they rotted and left the people starving.

   During those years many of the people ate grass, they also killed their sheep for food. After a while the Americans sent shiploads of Indian meal to the starving Irish. The meal was given to certain people to boil it and give it to the people of the district. The's man whome it was given to in this district was a man named Mr. Fenlon. This man lived in Ballybeg where Felix Doyle now lives.

   The year after the famine the landlords gave potatoes to their tenants for seed to sow. The year after the famine the government gave relief to the people of the country. Some people say, the place where they used to bury the people who died

   (continues on next page)

   

   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

   Bridget Foley

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Gowlin, Co. Carlow

   Informant

   Owen Foley

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Gowlin, Co. Carlow