School: Borris (C.)
- Location:
- Borris, Co. Carlow
- Teacher: Bean Uí Loinneáin
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- XML School: Borris (C.)
- XML Page 458
- XML “Famine Times”
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- During the years of the Great Famine - '46 &'47, caused by the blight on the potato crop, the people of Borris & of the neighbouring Townlands had their own share of suffering. Lady Harriet McMurragh Kavanagh opened two Soup Kitchens in Borris. Outside each every day was a queue of people, each person with a can or a mug in readiness for a ladle of soup.
This Lady also opened a protestant school in Marley & by promising food induced several Catholic people to attend. During the famine years the school was thronged but, when the good potatoes once more appeared, it was deserted - had to be closed for lack of pupils. America sent cargoes of Indian meal to the starving Irish but its distribution was badly organised. The meal depot for this district was at Arthur Murphy's (now Ogles??) Kilcumney, about 3 miles from Borris - a long tramp for famished people.
Several small farmers with their families left the district and, in the dread(ed) "coffin-ships", sought new homes in far-away America. Again many of them, expecting to be evicted for non-payment of rent, left their homes(continues on next page)- Collector
- Eileen Neill
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Borris, Co. Carlow