School: Kilbeggan (Mercy Convent) (roll number 14491)
- Location:
- Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Sr. Philomena
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0732, Page 398
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- XML “Famine Times”
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- The people in this area suffered great poverty, and many died of starvation during the Famine Years. Old people re-call those years as a proof of the power of the Hand of God.The year previous to the Famine the potato crop was a great success and they were so plentiful that people did not know how they would use them up, consequently they disposed of them in an extravagant manner. People threw them in the ditches, and did not take the trouble of putting them in proper pits.One night in the month of November a great fog was seen, where ever the potatoes were stored, and on the following morning they were all rotten. The cause of this fog was never known.George Washington sent a ship load of potatoes to Ireland for seed for the following year. By some mistake the ship
