School: Kilbeggan (Mercy Convent) (roll number 14491)
- Location:
- Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Sr. Philomena
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0732, Page 399
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- XML “Famine Times”
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- Around this locality the people died like flies during the famine.There was an out-break of "small pox" close on seventy-five years ago. The people had nothing to eat only Indian meal on account of the potato failure. The majority of the population around here were Protestants. The population was double the number of the present day. After the Famine the poor Farmers were evicted from their homes by ruthless Landlords because they could not pay the rent.The potatoes decayed in the ground on account of the wet weather. The corn became smutted. Buyers came from England and bought up whatever part of the harvest was left. The Catholics were so oppressed with taxes and rent that they had to sell it or clear out of their homes.
The people got the seed potatoes from George Washington who brought a ship load from New York.People talk about the Famine and they were afraid they would have another one early last year owning to the wet Summer.People still point out towns-lands that once looked(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Philomena Kelly
- Gender
- Female
