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School: Kilbeggan (Mercy Convent) (roll number 14491)

Location:
Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath
Teacher:
Sr. Philomena
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0732, Page 397

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0732, Page 397

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  1. XML School: Kilbeggan (Mercy Convent)
  2. XML Page 397
  3. XML “Famine Times”

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  1. Famine Times

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    The year before the famine potatoes grew very plentifully and the people left them in the fields to rot, because they had no use for them. The next year they rotted in the fields before they dug them out, and the year after they had nothing to sow. Some people sowed black potatoes and they grew.
    The people had nothing to eat and every day they came to Kilbeggan Court House for a pound of Indian meal to make porridge. That was all they could get and some of them used to eat it going home. A great many people died with hunger and want and some of them went across to foreign countries.
    11th February 1938.
    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
    Rosie Daly
    Gender
    Female