School: St John of God Convent, Rathdowney (roll number 16203)
- Location:
- Rathdowney, Co. Laois
- Teacher: The Sisters
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0828, Page 233
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- (continued from previous page)Famine '47 '48
The six children all died there. In the following year '49 he was dispossesed of his farm. The most remarkable fact is that so many people survived at all. People shared their scanty meals with each other such as milk, bread, Indian-meal and turnips. Raw turnips were often eaten by the people. It was an offence against the Law, during those days to kill a hare, or even rabbits, those were the sport of the rich planters. In the parish of Camross a young man got five years imprisonment for killing a hare in '48. Landlordism was at its height during those sad years. They were delighted to see the thousands who either died or emigrated to America. An English writer of the day declared that the belt was going with a vengance", after was for 600 yrs then came famine and pestulence. The latter was the means of breaking O'Connell's heart in 1847, he died on his way t Rome to beg help for his hungry people. During the Summer of '48(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Sadie Costigan
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 17
