School: Feilm (roll number 10786)

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1. Famine Times (continued)

   

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   There are many stories in this locality about the great famine that was in 1846 and '47 and the harm it did. It did much harm in this district as many people died by the roadside as the landlord put them out of their homes when they were not able to pay the rents.
   Before the famine there were about eight millions of a population in this country, but after the famine there was only half as much, and that was caused by the number who died with the hunger and fever, and those who emigrated to the United States. There are not any houses in this district thrown down since the famine.
   The cause of the famine was, the potato crop failed and they had no other food as they had to give their oats in payment of rent. The potatoes rotted in the ground. The bight came in little black spots on the stalks and it scattered through the whole field.
   As a result of the failure of the potato crop in the summer of 1846 the people had no seed the following year. The people had no food but they used to kill and eat every animal they could get. Sometimes they could be seen out in turnip fields trying to root out old withered turnips.
   Many people died of cold and hunger and they were often seen dying out under the ditches. A fever followed the famine and many people died with it also. It was the only time of distress in the country,

   

   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

   Informant

   Mrs Gordon

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   74

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Farm, Co. Galway