School: Keelagh
- Location:
- Keelagh, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Ellen Reilly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1025, Page 116
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- XML “Famine”
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- During the years 1846 and 1847 there was a great famine in Ireland. This famine was caused by the failure of the potato crop.
Before these years the chief food of the people was potatoes. In the year 1845 blight was seen in Ireland for the first time.
The people did not know what to do and at this time they did not know anything about spraying. All the potatoes withered and died.
The next year the same thing happened and the people were dying of starvation and weakness. The food which they ate consisted of tallow, raw turnips, rats, dogs and horses.
The next year Indian meal could be got at a very high price. When the farmers would have any oats they would have to sell it to pay the rent if not they would be evicted. Sometimes if they did pay the rent they would be evicted also.
At that time there was a(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Kathleen Mc Donald
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Mr Michael Reilly
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Mullalougher, Co. Cavan
