School: Lisnagirl (1)
- Location:
- Lismagiril, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Harriett Kinkade
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1005, Page 151
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- XML School: Lisnagirl (1)
- XML Page 151
- XML “Famine Times”
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- The famine affected the district very much. It was very thickly populated before that time because when every member of the family got married he got a field, and a little hoouse was put up for him. People still point out sites of houses--then occupied--now in ruins.
In the first year of the famine a blight appeared on the green leaves of the potato plants, and in a few days they began to droop and die. This disease rendered the potatoes soft and pulpy, and quite unfit for food. The potatoes decayed in the ground filling the air with a sickly taint.
The early potatoes had been saved, and so distress was lessened for the following year, but the disease again appeared, and this time almost the entire crop was affected. The potatoes were not sown broadcast like grain. The people had porridge of Indian corn as food, instead of potatoes. Government reliefs reached the district.
People died in great numbers, and great sickness and fever followed the famine, but people do not talk about the famine and distress due to the failure of the potato crop, but they say if the country has been wisely controlled there was food enough for all. As we have seen, the corn was grown in Ireland, and then was exported(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Maureen Lundie
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 14
- Address
- Greaghadossan, Co. Cavan
- Informant
- Mr Paterson
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 88
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Greaghadossan, Co. Cavan
