School: Ballinkillen, Muine Beag

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1. The Cholera

   

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   The Cholera: At the time when the Cholera ravaged the country Leighlinbridge was badly hit by the disease. The village that time was twice as big as it is today. So bad was the disease that one lane retains the name “The choler lane” to this day. Mr Path Burke told a gruesome story of this time in the village. No one would approach a house where a victim of the cholera lived, so that those unfortunates were left in a miserable state. No one could be found to coffin the corpses, particularly as it was circulated that the danger of contagion was multiplied by going near a corpse rather than one still alive. The only one to go near a house was a Board of Works man who peeped through windows & wrote names in his book. a huge grave had been dug to accommodate many coffins & some said that victims were even buried in the choler lane. Shed was erected in this lane where makeshift coffins no better than boxes were hastily putt together to hold the ever increasing number of victims. The fact of corpses being left in houses led to much offence & indignation amongst the people but who would remove them? A solution was found.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mr Patrick Burke

   Gender

   Male