School: Lisnagirl (1)
- Location:
- Lismagiril, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Harriett Kinkade
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1005, Page 119
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- XML Page 119
- XML “Famine Times”
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- The famine of 1846 and 1847 is almost a forgotten era, and the old people would rather not speak of the pain and hunger endured by their parents and neighbors.During the famine this district was very thickly populated. On every three or four acres stood a little mud walled cabin containing a family of ten or twelve children. Their chief food being roasted potatoes.When this crop failed their was nothing else to eat only a little corn and turnips as maize corn was not imported into Ireland in those days. There are very little traces of the houses to say where they stood long ago.The blight was not knonwn in Ireland until 1845. The stalks died down in two or three days and the potatoes were no larger than marbles. These happened to be dug, and there were none to be placed in pits.The potatoes used in those days were of a pink colour, with deep eyes, and rought eyes skins and were called cups. They grew in abundance before the famine. The local authorities gave a little relief by giving seed potatoes for planting. The following Spring the Champion(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Tilly Dancey
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 12
- Address
- Beagh Glebe, Co. Cavan
