School: Talbhain (Irish Wastelands Society) (roll number 4013)
- Location:
- Knockmoyle East, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Bean Uí Fhearghail
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0051, Page 0231
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- Famine Times
Before the famine years of 1846 and 1847 this district was very thickly populated the mountains were covered with houses and people can still point out the sites.
In our land there are the ruins of five houses were the Caffreys, Dalys, Maddons, Reddons and Keatings lived.
The people died in their homes with the hunger as they had nothing to eat but water cress from the spring wells.
One reason given for the failure of the potato crop was that in 1846 Guano was imported for the first time from South America and used for manuring the crops and that it brought a disease on the potatoes which rotted in the ground.
This Guano is said to be the droppings of sea birds on the coast of South America and fleets of ships brought it to Ireland.
Some people ate the rotten potatoes and developed Cholera and died of(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Brigid Fallon
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Moyglass, Co. Galway
