School: Tara Hill (roll number 13689)
- Location:
- Kilcavan, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Pádraig Mac Fhlannchadha
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- 89The FamineDuring the famine years the people of Ballymoney district suffered many hardships. Bessie O Connor, Ballymoney, Gorey told me some things which her grandmother told her years ago about the famine days. She said the people were starving for want of food and were dying everywhere.
When the English Government saw their state they thought that they now had a good oppertunity of making the people forsake the old religion. They built soup kitchens here and there throughout the country and offered free soup. Each morning her grandmother well remembered prayers or a part of the Bible being read before the distribution of the soup. She herself as well as many others refused to accept the food under these circumstances.
The soup was made from roots maize meal and anything else they could find. The soup kitchen in Ballymoney was situated on the top of the "Pound" Hill near the graveyard. A member of the Smith family was in charge of the kitchens. Those who refused the soup were sent to the Union where they were fed on a dreadful soup made mostly from salted herrings. The food in many cases, caused sickness and death.From
Kathleen O'Brien
Ballymoney, Gorey
Co Wexford- Informant
- Kathleen O' Brien
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Ballymoney Upper, Co. Wexford