The Famine in Kilmactigue

The Famine in Kilmactigue by Daniel Jones

The Famine (An Gorta Mhór) of 1845 to 1848 had major repercussions on our parish. Not only in terms of deaths, but other ripple effects such as emigration, mass evictions, dispersal of families, wipe out of villages, mass graves, new roads, new walls, the stigma of the workhouses and the beginning of the end of landlordism.

The cause of the famine was a windborne disease (commonly called blight) that attacked the potato crop, the staple diet of the Irish peasant who had potatoes with almost every meal. It was estimated that a typical family of two adults and five children consumed up to five tonnes per year and whilst this may appear to be a huge amount, it could easily be grown on just two roods (half an acre).

By way of background, Kilmactigue was owned by 18 Landlords, all but four of whom were residents. It was divided into small farming plots, more often rented on a yearly basis from the landlords or a middleman at a rate of between 24s to 30s per acre. Additionally, we had Rundale, or Commonage systems, involving the sharing of arable and non-arable, and pasture lands, amongst a group of farmers.