Famine Echoes is a remarkable book I read as I researched the Great Hunger or the Great Irish Famine for my novel-in-progress.
A record of individual folk memory, it is a collection of heart-breaking stories of personal, family and community suffering, during Ireland's Great Hunger of 1845 - 1850.
Table of Contents
Record of Irish Folk Memories From the Famine
The author shares the stories of descendants of famine survivors, as they recall what they themselves heard from their parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors.
Oral transmission of folk history is not favored by some historians. Limited facts, together with personal interpretations of events are considered inadequate to validate assumptions, but to me this is where real history begins.
No expert historical theories, no learned interpretations, and no reverberating political agendas lie hidden on these pages. This is the last recorded living link with the survivors of this catastrophic disaster.
The Irish Folklore Commission
In the 1930's and '40s, the Irish Folklore Commission interviewed thousands of elderly people around Ireland. The goal of this formidable project was to record memories of a not-so-distant past, before these aging storytellers took their recollections with them to the grave.
It's a miracle a newly-formed, 1930's, Irish government had the foresight to establish this Folklore Commission to record our precious oral history before it was too late.
This book, written by Cathal Póirtéir, was mined from thousands of pages collected by the Commission. With superb editing skills, he arranged these recollections by topic, and in an order roughly following the chronology of the Famine itself.
Cathal Póirtéir is a folklorist, historian, producer and documentary film maker. He produced the Irish radio program, Famine Echoes, a 16-part series recounting the stories of this book. Unfortunately it is no longer available on the RTE website.
This book is not light reading by any stretch of the imagination. Some of these stories are harrowing, recalling the impact of starvation, disease, and death. Others are touching, recalling acts of kindness in the face of adversity. Neighbors who tried to help neighbors are fondly remembered nearly one hundred years later, especially those who risked their lives to minister to the sick and dying.
Stories of the Great Irish Famine
Some entries are a few pages long, some but a few lines long. Here is a short recollection from the chapter The Coffin Ships and the Going Away:
"Kilmolaw was a village near Ballinasloe. It contained 60 houses. Every single family emigrated from it in Black '47 to Chicago. Each had someone previously there who sent them their passage, so they all went in batches, leaving Kilmolaw a deserted village."
- Martin Donoghue, Ryleen, New Ross, Co. Wexford,
a native of Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
This short account may seem inconsequential to some, but to me it explains why so many Americans today have trouble finding their roots in Ireland. No links remain. Entire villages disappeared - the people simply gone.
"'Twas a sad tale. Not one tenant ever went back to till a sod of Lisnacunna. They scattered everywhere... .... I never heard to what part of America they went, for when the old neighbors they had scattered away, they didn't know where to send a line to, so they were never heard of after."
- Seán Crowley, born 1858, Cill Cholmáin, Eniskeane, Co. Cork
The Great Irish Hunger changed the Irish forever, defining us as a people ever since. A calamity so devastating, it forced exile that reshaped nations for decades after, including the United States, Australia, England, and of course Ireland.
This book records the words of ordinary people in human, gripping terms.
The Silent People
The survivors of the Famine were known as the Silent People. Few of their experiences were captured in their own words at the time. But echoes of their voices can be heard here. The author, Cathal Póirtéir, sums this up when he says:
"I feel that the echoes of those silenced voices which we have in folk memory are the nearest we can get to the experience of the poor of the 1840's and 1850's. "
For anyone with an interest in the Irish Famine, this book tells the traumatic tale through the eyes of survivors.
They bear witness to the story of our past - an Irish narrative of suffering, death and immigration, yet tinged with the eternal hope of a better life in a New World across the Atlantic.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
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Mariana
Thank you Mairead for the recommendation. I'd like to read it someday.
Irish American Mom
Mariana - Many of the stories in this book would bring tears to your eyes. I appreciated reading these experiences exactly as reported by the storytellers. Their words, dialect and expressions brought their sufferings to life, in a far more meaningful way than any factual, historical text.
All the best,
Mairéad
Brian@irelandfavorites
Hi Mairead, We forget, we fat and happy inhabitants of the present how hard the past could be. Good luck researching,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Thanks, Brian. I think we fat and happy inhabitants of today truly forget that these hard times were not that long ago. My children have never seen how difficult life once was. As a child I saw my granny washing clothes with a wash board, and cooking over an open fire, but my little ones have no idea those days are only two generations past. Their great-great-grandfather was born in 1840, so that brings the days of the famine into our relatively recent family history.
Take care and have a great week.
Mairéad
Cheryl Barker
i agree, Mairead -- so important to preserve the oral history. This sounds like an amazing book. My to-read list is oh so long, but I am adding this one to it! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Cheryl - I know the feeling of having an ever so long to-read list. I try to read a few chapters before going to sleep at night. Way too often my husband has to remove a book from my hand as I snore. I am living proof that reading at night is a great sleep aide.
All the best, and have a great week.
Mairéad
Aimee
This sounds like a wonderful book! There really is something uniquely special about learning history straight from the source. I can already feel the tears coming as I think about reading these touching stories...I think that's what makes these so different- the emotions of the times are left intact and whole for a new person to feel and experience. The textbook way of learning history tends to take the emotion out of the learning process.
Irish American Mom
Aimee - This book is truly full of heartfelt emotion, and tear-jerking stories. I often pick it up and read a short excerpt just to remind myself of how lucky I am to be living in the comfort of today. Understanding the sacrifices and suffering of our ancestors helps me appreciate all that I have.
All the best,
Mairéad
V.H
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,591271,743300,0,10 This may be of aid to you since it has the OS for all Ireland from 1820-45. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Survey_Ireland
This has been an invaluable tool for me. When you then add the Estate survey from NUI, Galway http://www.landedestates.ie/ But if you get a chance the national archives and the Folklore section isteagh san ROINN NA GAEILGE. Griffith is also good. As are the people over in Salt Lake City.
OKzies, forgive me if I get a bit technical and give a history of history in Ireland. It'll make things a bit easier to plumb the sources.
Up until the 1960 we were using history as a tool for nation building. Propaganda basically. From the 70s on to the mid 90s we had a group of very scientific historiographers who required facts backed up three ways to Samoa. This meant two things. History was very 'British/English' since they were the only people who were generating huge volumes of data. And it meant the writing out of anyone below a certain level since they were neither diarists nor accountants. Where the people factored they were the object of government reports. http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/workstaff.htm
Any ol'wooos, best of luck.
Irish American Mom
Vince - Thanks for these great links. I just spent some time on the NUI Galway site for landed estates. Amazing information - I'll be searching through this, especially for the Skibbereen area where I am setting my novel. My characters will be fictional, but seeing the old houses or ruins helps so much with setting. Griffith's Valuation is a great source for learning about the names of choice around the time of the Famine. I think we tend to forget that the use of Irish (Gaelic) Christian names was not in vogue in the early 1800's, and that their resurgence was related to the efforts of the Gaelic League. I also refer to Piggot's Directory for town descriptions.
I like your explanation of Irish history. What I was taught in school in the 1970's and early 1980's was definitely tinged by an Irish nationalistic agenda. I hope that through the power of storytelling, my novel will show how all the people of Ireland were affected by this calamity of the 1840's. The poor landless laborers may have died, but nobody, rich or poor, survived unscathed.
Thanks again for some great information.
All the best,
Mairéad
V.H
What confused the hell out of me was the way the Norman invasion was dealt with. We had Irish Irish Irish from the Ice Age to about 1100, then poof, gone. We then became annoying losing rebels who vanished off to Europe to fight for all sorts. Irish became synonymous with Catholic not Gael.
Ever wonder why you had someone named Sayers living on the Blaskets. 😀
Irish American Mom
Another great point, Vince. We were always told the Normans became "more Irish than the Irish themselves". This phrase was romanticized to group Gael and pre-Tudor conqueror together, making the term Irish synonymous with Catholic, as you point out. I assume the name Sayers has a French or Norman origin, just like all the Fitz names found around Ireland.
Thanks again,
Mairéad
V.H
Yes, that was the phrase used in the late Tudor period but it was used in shocked terms, prior to that the Norman families were very much at the center of things at court. Actually much more so than you'd think. All held lands in England and France before that. But with the collapse of the crusade in Spain their importance dwindled to nowt in the next 60 years. But they still had memories of being at the center of things and that's why when Cromwell came he attacked the English towns. Remember places like Youghal, Clonmel and Galway all had (and have) Irish towns outside the walls. To put it in the US context. The Indians were allowed into the fort but had to be outside the walls by nightfall.
You can still see this in the shop names along any high street for it wasn't until the early 1900's there was any glimmer of opening up in the attitudes.
Why I mentioned about Peig Sayers is that very few know the roll seaweed played in the narrative of the famine. From 1760 to 1820 because of wars they couldn't supply enough of the stuff. This required a huge population living along the coastal strip. Just think how the fishermen in the maritime provinces of Canada were supplied and you'll get the picture.
Mariana
Your conversation reminded me that I've recently watched some episodes of a BBC documentary called The Story of Ireland. I don't know how accurate it is or if it is biased, since it is my first approach to Irish history. But I found it really interesting. You can watch it on Youtube here http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXfi87AF5MQ8xrAc3A9m816zxoHm9AW03
Irish American Mom
Thanks for this recommendation, Mariana. I'll check it out for sure. I hope you escaped the bad flooding in Argentina recently.
All the best,
Mairéad
Mariana
Luckily, there was no flooding in my city. Thank you.
Irish American Mom
Glad to hear you are safe, Mariana. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Argentina in the wake of this terrible disaster.
Take care,
Mairéad
V.H
Yes, Fergal Keane is quite good but when it gets contentious the tilt he places upon facts is towards the in-offensive. And that simply makes no sense. Remember no matter how you slice it, the Irish (all of us) have been at war with the other island since the twelfth century. And war isn't nice.
This programme is good without a doubt. But you must view it knowing any story is both better and worse than told.
And if you are seeing it from the States, then think how differently the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho will view the conflict called, The war between the States/ The war of Northern Aggression/The Civil War. That way you'll see things can be quite messy.
Irish American Mom
Thanks for your input Vince. I'll keep this in mind as I watch this program.
All the best,
Mairéad
J Nic Liam
Thanks for alerting me to what looks like a fascinating read.
For your own book research you may find it worth having a look at Samuel Lewis A topographical dictionary of Ireland published in 1837. It is a great introduction to each and every place in Ireland. It is online and easily searchable here http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/index.php
Irish American Mom
Thanks so much for this fantastic link - an amazing resource for someone like me who is setting a novel in Ireland between the years 1830 to 1848. Thanks so much for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Shaundra
I have received the book recently, and I am trying to do a book analysis but cannot find any information of Cathal Poirteir online. I was wondering since you were able to find some of his back ground history, you could please direct me to a website or list of sources you used. This would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Irish American Mom
Hi Shaundra - Many of the pages written about Cathal Poirtéir are in the Irish language, so I understand how difficult it has been for you to find some information. I found some links in English. Here is the link for his LinkedIn page:
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/cathal-poirteir/16/983/60
There is also a bio available on the RTE website, where he now works. Here's the link for that one -
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2009/0622/646099-docmakercathalp/
I hope these help. Wishing you every success with your book analysis.
All the best,
Mairéad