School: Presentation Convent, Lucan

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   “During the years of the famine young girls of Ireland used go over to Scotland to pick potatoes.”

   

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   in the morning till late that evening. The old women of Ireland were too old to go so they sent their starving children.

   In this time also there lived a very religious and rich gentleman who sowed his crops about three miles from his mansion. His name was Mr. O. Rourke he sowed a large amount of potatoes, turnips and many vegetables. The way in which he used get them home was; a large river flowed nearby. He placed them on the river and let them go until he came to the back entrance and there he had a water gate erected for the purpose. He had a man at this gate who used to let up the gate and let the crops flow down the river to the poor people that came near and far with sacks on their shoulders and in that they carried them. It was due to the generosity of Mr. Moran he did it unknown to Mr. O'Rourke. Around the water gate they placed an arch built of stone the arch is there to this day and the Bell which Mr. O. Rourke called the man to their dinner. This was in the year 1847.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maureen Blake

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Lucan, Co. Dublin