School: Cortubber
- Location:
- Cortober, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Mary A. Burke
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0237, Page 027
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“After the famine in the workhouse of Mohill...”
(continued from previous page)After the famine there was a plague of Black cholera around here and the people died like flies. There had to be a special graveyard provided to bury the dead one convenient so that the sad journey wouldn't take long. The one provided is Bully's Acre and my grandmother told me that she herself saw as often as twelve bodies heaped on the cart going to Bully's Acre, and there were no coffins as there was no money or time to get them. Also that lime was largely used in the burying of the dead.
The Workhouses were built the years of the famine, and after this dreadful time were easily filled with inmates especially young children who were orphaned as a result of the Famine. Those workhouses were large grim cold places, but were often in the care of charitable officials who looked after the children and poor people well.