School: Beith Mhór (Beaghmore) (roll number 1209)
- Location:
- Beagh More, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Pilib Mac Aonghusa
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0229, Page 383
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- The year of the Famine was 1846. Nearly all the people died that year with hunger. There were so many dying that they could not bring them to the graveyards. They had to bury them in the nearest field. They had nothing to eat. They used to be out hunting every day after hares and rabbits and fishing. When they would be fishing they were so hungry, the first fish that they would catch they would put on a fire and roast him and eat him. Potatoes and oats were very scarce in those days. The rats and other animals gathered into they graveyards and ate the dead bodies. In the Penal days, the priests used to say Mass in the valleys and in rocks. The Catholics could not go to Mass in those days. There was a priest named Father Michael Curran who used to say Mass in the valleys. He was saying Mass in the one place for a long time. One Sunday, when he was after beginning Mass he saw the Soldiers coming. He ran as hard as he could, but the Soldiers caught him and shot him. Most of the other people got away. This priest lived in the Parish of Ballinamuck.
- Collector
- Paddy Mc Govern
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Beagh Beg, Co. Leitrim
- Informant
- Patrick Sheridan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 35
- Address
- Beagh Beg, Co. Leitrim
