School: Broadford
- Location:
- Broadford, Co. Clare
- Teacher: M. Fitzpatrick
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0585, Page 268
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- XML “Tales of the Famine Period”
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- In the years 1846 and 1847, a great famine set in in Ireland. As the potato was the staple food of the Irish people they starved when the potato crop was destroyed. The population of Ireland at that time was nine millions, but it is only half that at present.
The people died like flies by the hedges and ditches. About one million died of hunger and a million emigrated to America.
Without the potatoes the Irish people had plenty wheat to support themselves but they had to export it to England. Corn was sent from America to the aid of the starving Irish but the English used to sink the ships in the ports.
In the townland of Montrice in the parish of Truagh, Barony of Lower Tulla, Co. Clare, where one family now resides, it was formerly occupied by thirty two families. Then the government gave a grant to be expended on public works. The men worked for 4s a day, the women for 2s and the little boys for 1s. They also distributed free meal to the starving people.
On one occasion a man died of hunger coming down to Broadford for the free meal. They also gave employment by making high fences. One time a man had two sons making those fences and they had boiled turnips and Indian meal for their supper.
- Informant
- Mrs Malone
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Broadford, Co. Clare
