School: Walshestown (roll number 3245)
- Location:
- Walshestown North, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Bean Uí Dhuibhir
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0736, Page 342
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- XML “Severe Weather”
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- Nearly one hundred years ago there was a long period of very severe weather; the frost which continued for eight or ten weeks, was so intense that all the lakes and rivers were frozen.
Old Jim Headun that lived near Walshestown Chapel told my father that he saw a funeral crossing Loch Owel lake on the ice from Ballinafid to Portloman graveyard. Four men carried the coffin and over three or four hundred followers. He also saw cattle being driven across and hay being carted on the ice.
Several years later than this incident there was an intense fall of snow during the month of February. All roads were blocked and stock had to be kept indoors or in closed yards.
The 4th March pig fair of Multyfarnham was a event at the time. All labourers and farmers around used to go there with their pigs, but on this occasion the snow barred the way. However for about two weeks before, gangs of men were at work clearing a way through the snow(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Peter Hanley
- Gender
- Male
