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School: Mullingar (Pres. Convent) (roll number 934)

Location:
Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Teacher:
Sr. Colmcille
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0735, Page 098

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0735, Page 098

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  1. XML School: Mullingar (Pres. Convent)
  2. XML Page 098
  3. XML “The Famine”

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  1. The Famine

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    Years proceeding the famine the crops of potatoes were so plentiful that they heaved cart loads of them into the dykes and left them to rot. That was supposed to have the blight, for in 1845 the potatoes in the harvest failed. In the following Spring they had to take the potatoes that were rotting in the dykes for seed and again the brown spots appeared on the leaves and on the stalks till gradually they reached (they) the potatoes. The peope peeled them and eat the middle and sowed the skin with eyes and had a bumper yield. The famine was not as bad in this parish as in others. The population was three times greater than at present.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Cissie Farrell
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
    Informant
    Miss Mc Hugh
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Springfield or Spittlefield, Co. Westmeath