School: Clochar na Trócaire, Leac an Anfa, Cathair na Mart

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1. Famine Times (continued)

   

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   district. Several people went to England and America. The English gave a free passage to the emigrants, some of them did well, others died on board and some of them lived only for a short time in a strange land. At home the dreadful disease called cholera broke out among the victims of the famine. When struck down with the disease they used to turn black as soot. The victims lived beyond a week. The people who had the disease were left unattended, the dead were left unburied. A number of the poor people went to the Workhouse in Westport. When a crowd of them died they used to dig a big hole in a field at the back of the workhouse, sometimes the corpses were put into the same grave. A few years ago new cottages were built on the site of the old workhouse. The tenants got possession of the land too. The first spring they sowed potatoes in the fields. When digging up the clay they found bones and skulls of human beings.

   The famine lasted about three years. Previous to 1845 the people were fine and strong but after that they became weak and delicate. When the census was taken only half the number viz. 4 millions were living in the country.

   This account was written by Tommie Gavin. He heard all from his grandfather Thomas Walsh about 80 years, he lives in Carramacloughlin.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. time
      1. historical periods by name (~25)
         1. the great famine (~4,013)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Tommie Gavin

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Thomas Walsh

   Relation

   Grandparent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   c. 80

   Address

   Carrowmacloughlin, Co. Mayo