School: Mayne (roll number 12433)
- Location:
- Mayne, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Margaret Percival
Open data
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- XML School: Mayne
- XML Page 070
- XML “Famine Times”
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On this page
- This was told me by my grandmother, Mrs Edwards, residing at Kilgolagh, Finea, Streete, Co. Westmeath. She was told it by her mother, Mrs Whyte. She is dead now.
Before the famine the county around Finea was very thickly populated. Where the fields are now on both sides of the road were little huts which would not be fit for pigs. When the potato crop failed the poor people who were living in these huts had no other food as their gardens would only hold enough potatoes without other vegetables. The farmers who had enough land for oats and wheat as well as other vegetables gave all they could spare to the poor. There was a certain plant which grew in the ground and the poor people would dig it and wash it and eat it to keep them alive but the majority were dying in the ditches.(continues on next page)- Collector
- Joyce Stratford
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Finnea, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Mrs Edwards
- Relation
- Grandparent
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Kilgolagh, Co. Cavan