School: Cill Thiomáin, Durrus, Bantry (roll number 15989)

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1. Horrors of the Famine (continued)

   

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   he came to the district. He summarizes his observations in a letter to his brother, Rev. Richard Chenevix French, Professor of Divinity in King's College, London, and later Archbishop of Dublin. Painful Thoughts The letter is as follow :- An account of the famine in the parish of Goleen - My attention was first directed to the famine by Captain Coffin's letter. It was painful to my self and others to think that within two or three days journey from out home thousands of our fellow-creatures should be dying of absolute starvation. We felt that though there were thousands around us suffering most severely from insufficiency of food, yet there was an immeasurable distance between them and that of persons dying from extreme hunger. It was, therefore proposed that I should visit those localities with a view to administering such relief as appeared most judicious and practicable. I accordingly did so and have just returned. And, as the testimony of an eye witness, totally unconnected with the County Cork by family or relations may possible gain the attention of some who may disregard the representation of those whose interest and feelings are more closes bound up with those places I think it my duty to make the public still better acquainted with present condition of the poor in those parts and I do so the more readily

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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

   Eileen O' Driscoll

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Kilcomane, Co. Cork