The food eaten in famine time was porridge made of Indian meal, three time a day, & they were very glad to have it.
As a result of evictions & famine a plague set in amongst the people, many of whom died on roadside from weakness. A house now owned by blacksmith James Doyle in Rathmore was called the Plague house part of it has never been inhabited since only by animals. An old lady Miss Salter of Knocknagann who died last year told me that she saw poor people falling on road at her gate., she gave them hot milk and they revived for a time. She was only a child them she was eighty years of age when she told me above story two years ago.
B. O'Grady Sept. 6:-1938.

The Philip Germain referred to in previous letter was the owner of the property + house occupied now by Lord Rathdonnell, a brother of his Michael owned the property now known as Salter's Knocknagann. Phil another brother owned the Kappel farm. After the Evictions Michaelwent to Australia also several others among them Peter Kelly of Rathmore who married Judith Kearns sister to John Kearns Rathvilly. The years of Evictions Meetings were held secretly in a house in Duffrey where plan of campaign was started to lower Rack Rents. Numbers of these who joined it never got back their houses or lands - Portion of chorus to song then composed was : - "Down with confiscation Pay no rent at all, Only Griffiths Caluation" the remainder of it is in oblivion.
Fr. Maher - A priest in Rathvilly took a prominent part in aiding the poor evicted Tenants at this time. He was a nephew to the saintly Fr. Maher of Graigue Cullen whose remains were recently exhumed + found intact . As a reward for his kindness _ a plot was formed by a number of planters in the house
Plotters - in which I am living now to waylay him on his way home from a meeting near Carlow. Only his horse arrived home whinning + prancing + in great distress. Its master was killed on the roadside. The names of the plotters were afterwards made known by a servant girl who pretended to be asleep in kitchen but overheard what went on. When arrangements were