School: Accony (roll number 5122)

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1. The Famine in Our District

   

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   Margaret Gibbons, Accony N.S. Louisburgh, Co Mayo

   The famine began in the harvest of '45. It spread everywhere except Donegal and Tory Island. The cause of the Famine was all the potatoes got the blight and failed to grow. The potato was the food of the people because they had no flour or meal. It became worse in forty six, forty seven and forty eight. Father Patrick McManus Parish priest of this district told them not to sow but turnips. Some of them sowed potatoes and other turnips. Those that sowed the potatoes had twice as much of a crop. The others died with hunger. The Cholera came and other diseases and thousands of people died. Those that had no food were hoking the slits that were sown, up from under the clay and eating them. Those that had a head of cabbage were boiling poreens, chicken weed and bráisce through it and eating it. They were put into no coffins. They used make a big thick rope and roll it around their head and body and bury them. Some of them used to be carried on a donkey and cliabs (?) others of them, used to be buried where they died. Mr John Comer lived in Louisburgh

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Margaret Gibbons

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Aghany, Co. Mayo

   Informant

   Mr Thomas Gibbons

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Emlagh, Co. Mayo