School: Clooncullaun (roll number 13163)
- Location:
- Clooncullaan, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Liam Mac Leastair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0250, Page 212
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- XML “Famine Times”
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- In a few years we will have the centenary of the Great Famine, An Gortac Mór and needless to say there are very few alive today who have any definite memory of that terrible time. But down to a decade ago a good many of the old people of this district could tell vivid stories of what they witnessed in their childhood days during that awful period.The population was dense then. The people sub-divided their little farms - with the land lords permission of course - and often two or three sons would marry and live on the paternal holding.
Matters went fairly well until the terrible failure came on the potato crop which was the only mainstay of tens of thousands. Then came hunger followed by diseases of various kinds and so widespread was the visitation that it was almost impossible to bring aid in due time to all the sufferers.The result was that in certain districts died like flies both(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Michael Casserly
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 84
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Cloonybrennan, Co. Roscommon
