School: Drumcrave
- Location:
- Drumcrauve, Co. an Chabháin
- Teacher: Ss. Mac Giolla Choinnigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0975, Page 279
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- During the famine years of 1846-1847 about two million people died from starvation. The cause was that the potato crop failed.
In those days the potato was the chief diet, and support of the whole population, which was about seven millions. Young and old died, even whole families were wiped out by a disease called the "black fever".
People died in such large numbers that there were not enough coffins to hold them all. Then the Government started opening up the by-roads; this was called relief work. For this work each man was paid nine pence per day.
- During the years of the famine, roads were very scarce, and people had to travel through fields to get to towns and villages. At that time people were very poor and men used to work for threepence a day.
- Collector
- Peadar Ó Sodain
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- An Cabhán, Co. an Chabháin
