In the west of Ireland furrowed fields hug the coastline. Many a passer-by pays little to no attention to this ridged farmland, totally unaware these markings are the remnants of our ancestors' toil.
Referred to as lazy beds, these scars on the Irish countryside are evidence of an abandoned system of potato cultivation that once supported generations of Irish people, before the devastation of the Great Irish Famine.

Table of Contents
Photographs of Furrowed Fields
As I researched photographs and information for my series of potato posts, the Spud Saga, I came across a collection of images of these distinctively furrowed fields.
I knew I just had to share them here on my blog, and let readers and Irish tourists know what exactly they are observing when they travel the highways and byways of my homeland.

Lazy Beds
"Lazy beds" is the term for these ridge and furrow patterns. The term was first used by the British as a derogatory term for this ancient system of agriculture utilized in Ireland and Scotland. The British bone of contention was that all the Irish ever did was grow potatoes in their lazy beds.
But truth be told, there was nothing lazy about the back-breaking slog of our forefathers, who worked tirelessly to create arable land in an area full of rocks covered with a thin layer of top soil or ancient peat bog.
Here's how lazy beds worked. Farmers would carry seaweed, sand and crushed shells up from the shore and pile it in parallel ridges in their fields. Seed potatoes were planted on the high ridges, then covered with earth scooped up from the sides.

Seaweed as Fertilizer
The seaweed and sand mixed into the clay of the ridges nourished the growing tubers, ensuring they had a high level of iodine. The channels between the ridges followed the slope of the hills or the land, acting as drainage ditches.
Over the years the ridges grew higher and the furrowed ditches deeper.
By using this method, poor land which might grow little else, supported flourishing potato crops and sustained millions of Irish people, until the arrival of the dreaded potato blight in 1845.

The Wayfarer
Despite not being used for many years, these lazy beds remain untouched in parts of Ireland. They have withstood the winds and rains over a century and a half, to mark these fields as memorials to their makers.
These ridged, hilly fields remind me of the lines from the poem, The Wayfarer, by Patrick Pearse.
"Or some green hill where shadows drifted by,
Some quiet hill where mountainy man hath sown
And soon would reap; near to the gate of Heaven;"
~ Excerpt from The Wayfarer, by Patrick Pearse.

And over a million "mountainy" men and their families perished during the years of the Great Hunger (1845 to 1850), and now reap on the far side of the "gate of Heaven," which I know was opened wide during those dreadful years.

Many of these photographs are from the counties of Galway and Mayo in the west of Ireland.
The photo above shows the tiny island of Braadillaun, off the Connemara coast in County Galway. If you examine the closest side of the island, and the adjacent mainland field, the remains of furrowed lazy beds can be seen.
Every square inch of inhospitable and barren land was utilized to feed the growing Irish population, prior to the Great Famine.

The Deserted Village
For anyone interested in seeing the remains of these lazy beds I recommend visiting The Deserted Village on Achill Island, County Mayo. Located on the southern slopes of Slievemore, this abandoned village stretches from west to east for over 1.5 kilometres.
Dating from about 1750, there originally were 137 houses in the village, clustered together in three settlements.

Today, 84 ruined homes remain. One-roomed cabins, or two-chambered dwellings, some had an outhouse, and some had a stable or shed for animals.
Surrounding the village is an extensive system of lazy beds. The village was abandoned in the 1850's, but some cabins were used during the summer months up until the 1940's

The tradition of taking cattle and sheep to the hills for summer grazing is known as 'booleying.' The cabins were occupied during the summer months, but residents of nearby villages would return to their homes from the mountainside to pass the winter months. Slievemore Mountain on Achill Island is one of the last places in Europe where 'booley' houses were used.
The abandoned stone cottages of Achill Island, with their surrounding fields furrowed with potato ridges, are an excellent way for tourists to envisage what life was like in Ireland, many years ago.

The Irish, became a 'silent people' after the anguish and heartbreak of the Great Hunger.
Perhaps these mute ridges now speak for our ancestors, reminders of who they were, and their endless struggle to survive.

Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
P.S. A big thank you to all the wonderful photographers who shared their work under a Creative Commons License, allowing me to use their images to illustrate this post. I truly appreciate your generosity.
Here are some other posts you might find interesting.
Irish Famine Burial Pits In Skibbereen
- Everything You Need To Know About Ross Castle
- The Best Pubs in Galway
- Best Things to Do in Galway Ireland
- An Irish Tour Following in the Footsteps of Saint Brigid
- 11 Things to Do in Dublin Ireland You Don’t Want to Miss
- Walter's Way Tours Of Ireland
- Top Ten Hiking Trails in Ireland
- Mysteries and Legends of the Cliffs of Moher
- The History of Dublin's Famous Molly Malone Song and Statue
- The Best Beaches in Ireland - A Guide to the Coastline
- Beltany Stone Circle County Donegal
- Slieve Binnian - A Peak In The Mourne Mountains
Patricia
You are so right, Mairead, there was nothing lazy about the back breaking work that went into building up those beds! Incredible. i cannot imagine how one must have felt to climb into bed at night after working to make those beds! The potato blight must have seemed so unfair after all the hard work that went into those fields...God bless our ancestors, yours, mine, and all who read your blog!
Irish American Mom
Hi Patricia - And for many, they had no bed to climb into, only a sack filled with straw to lay down upon beside the fire. We have no idea of how hard our ancestors labored to try to feed their families. Today many of us talk about being 'stressed'. Truth be told, we have no idea what real stress is. I echo your blessings on those who have gone before us.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Gene
Thanks for the details, Mairead. We saw the fields outside of Galway; but were not given a complete story. It's a tribute to doing with what you have. In Ohio, we have a lot of clay that was laid down during the timed we were an ocean. The ultra fine texture is the opposite of rock; but it's just as hard to cultivate.
It holds too much water and is sticky when wet; but will dry to rock hard when dry.
We have devised a practice much like the "Lazy Beds" which we call "lasagna gardening". We will dig a trench in the clay then fill by layering straw, newspaper, green clippings, sand, some of the clay, leaves or whatever we have and then repeat the process several times to build a bed a couple feet high and water well. We top with some of the best soil we have and plant. In a couple weeks, the bed is reduced to about eight or ten inches and keeps the row out of the wet. In time, the mound becomes very good loam.
No it's not a lazy method. My relatives live in southern Illinois and brag about having four feet of topsoil. Now that's lazy farming.
Irish American Mom
Hi Gene - Thanks so much for introducing us to the concept of 'lasagne gardening' in Ohio. The farmers and gardeners of Ohio are resourceful, hard-working people to have devised such a system for growing their produce. I wonder if any Irish immigrants, familiar with the 'lazy bed' system of potato growing in Ireland, helped develop this trench and ridge cultivation system in Ohio. I love learning from readers through comments like yours. I really appreciate you joining in our 'lazy bed' conversation.
My father comes from North Cork where the land is lush and fertile - much like your relatives' farms in southern Illinois. But the farms on the western coast of Ireland definitely did not allow for any lazy farming.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Sheila
Fascinating! Thanks so much for your research and sharing. I don't remember seeing them on my trip there, but I may have seen them and not realized what they were. It is so hard to imagine living like that. And I complain about having to go to the grocery store! I will sure appreciate those trips more.
Irish American Mom
Hi Sheila - I think many people see these fields, but don't realize what they truly are. Most are located in the western most reaches of the island. Fields were created right down to the shoreline, and today many of these fields that were reclaimed in such a labor intensive way, are no longer used.
My kids truly don't appreciate how much work is involved in food production. Furthering their awareness of how much work goes into farming is one of my goals for the coming years.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Chery Barker
Thanks for another interesting glimpse into your homeland, Mairead. Those lazy beds add a unique beauty to the land, don't they? And by the way, I can't imagine anyone calling farmers of any kind lazy. The ones who coined that terminology probably never farmed a day in their lives! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Hi Cheryl - I agree whole heartedly with you - anyone who called this way of farming, the lazy bed method definitely never lifted a shovel in their life. Farming life needs to be experienced to fully understand all that goes into producing our food. Someday I would love to take my kids to a dude ranch, so they could experience what a day on a ranch involves.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Mary
What hard work that must have been, to make those lazy beds!!! These photos are beautiful...thanks so much!
Irish American Mom
Hi Mary - I really love these photos too. Once I discovered the first image of furrowed fields on the http://www.geograph.ie website, I started searching for more. I wasn't disappointed, and am so grateful that these photographers licensed their work to allow bloggers like me use them.
Thanks for checking out this blog post.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bernadette
I learn so much from your posts Mairead and always look forward to them. Thank you so much. for sure, one thing the Irish farmer never were or are, is lazy! My dad grew up on a farm in Donegal and he never moaned about it, in fact he loved Ireland but I think he left because he didn't want such a backbreaking life for his children, and he succeeded, God bless him. he continues to help us now as, through him, we are eligible to apply for Irish passports which, although we do not intend to live in Ireland, will allow us to be European Union citizens so we can still travel freely and work within Europe should we wish. Thank you dad and thank you Ireland for thinking of those who had to leave your shores through necessity, we're still Irish in our hearts!
Bernadette
Irish American Mom
Hi Bernadette - I'm so happy to learn your father made a good life here in America. Farmers in Ireland in days gone by worked ever so hard. I remember the daily work routine my granny and uncle in County Cork strictly adhered to each and every day. It was the only way to ensure all tasks were completed to keep the farm ticking over. Seven of my granny's thirteen children immigrated to America. I too am happy that my children can hold both Irish and American passports. They are so privileged to be able to travel freely within America and Europe.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings, and for your kind words about my website. It's lovely to hear from readers who enjoy my writings. You all give me such encouragement to continue this crazy blogging journey.
All the best,
Mairéad
Christopher Young
Wonderful article, really enjoyed it. Indeed, the deserted village on Achill Island is hauntingly beautiful and a glimpse into the past.
Irish American Mom
Hi Christopher - I'm so glad you enjoyed this article and little glimpse into Irish rural life in days gone by.
Best wishes, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
brian@irelandfavorites
One of my favorite of your writings, thank you Mairead. People think the world is coming to an end these days, when really we are all fat and happy and silly and frivolous. Don't know too many people willing to haul sand, seaweed, and shells for a meal of starch these days. I gotta go the pizza delivery is at the door.
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - "Fat, happy, silly and frivolous" - describes us so well, even if we all think we're overworked, underpaid and stretched to the limits. We're probably just stressed out because we can't decide what to put on our pizza - too many topping choices. Maybe a potato pizza next time. 🙂 🙂 🙂
All the best,
Mairéad
Irishnannie
...the "gate of Heaven"... "opened wide"... for those souls who suffered so...Thank you, God, for your Love and mercy...
Irish American Mom
Without a doubt they were greeted with open arms at the gates of Heaven.
All the best,
Mairéad
Gerry O'Sullivan
A great article i am a79 year old irish kiwi and still grow my own spuds it must be in the blood my ancestors left kerry around 1860 my relatives still own the family farm and we have visited and keep in touch i love your blog and would like to receive it slainte gerry o'sullivan
Irish American Mom
Hi Gerry - I'm delighted to hear you are still in contact with your family in Ireland. So many O'Sullivans in Cork and Kerry. You're lucky to be able to visit such a beautiful part of Ireland. Thanks so much for your kind words about my blog. I really appreciate it, and do stop by whenever you get a chance. I've plenty more recipes and ramblings to share.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Gerry O'Sullivan
Thanks for your quick reply look forward to hearing more from your blog
Sheila
I love this post and the story behind Ireland's furrowed fields. There's history everywhere in Ireland.
Irish American Mom
So true, Sheila. From ancient church ruins, walls of collapsed stone cottages, ancient holy wells, dolmens and portal tombs, and even the markings on the fields, you can't escape history in Ireland. Thanks so much for checking out this little piece of Irish history.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bernadette
Mairead, you mentioned dolmens and portal tombs, what are these?
Thanks, Bernadette.
Irish American Mom
Hi Bernadette - Dolmens are ancient megalithic tombs that dot the Irish countryside. They usually have a large table like stone balanced on three or four smaller stones. Here's a photo of one in County Carlow ...
Portal tombs are large mounds found all over Ireland, often with a stone entrance. Inside are burial chambers from thousands of years ago. They're found all over Ireland. I think I might do a blog post on the topic of dolmens and portal tombs soon. Thanks for the inspiration.
All the best,
Mairéad
Image Credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brownshill_Dolmen.JPG
Bernadette
Thanks for that information Mairead, fascinating as always!
Irish American Mom
🙂 🙂 🙂
Kathleen
Spending so much time in Ireland, Galway especially, and had no idea what those were. As always, you are a great source of information. Thank you.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathleen - Glad to share the little tidbits that pique my interest as I research Irish history for my writing. I read about this phenomenon and then was surprised when I found so many photos of furrowed fields on Geograph.ie. There's history all around in Ireland.
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Mairéad
Liam Garvey
That's a lovely tribute to the people who created the "Lazy Beds"
My grandparents had a farm on the side of a mountain in Kerry and the system of growing potatoes hadn't changed for 200 years. It was backbreaking work in the Springtime constructing the ridges and picking stones. The early varieties sown were potatoes called "British Queens" and "Home Guards" - the main crop was usually "Records" or "Kerr's Pinks".
The maintenance of the crop was a constant one, weeding and building up soil next to the shoots of the emerging plants. We used to spray the leaves with a "Bluestone" solution to prevent blight.
Harvest time was my favourite - digging out the crop and being amazed at how one single potato could generate so many tubers. The taste of the home grown potato was so much better than the ones we buy in the supermarket nowadays.
It's nice to remember the generations who toiled on the land and it's sad to think of all those who perished during "An Gorta Mór".
Irish American Mom
Hi Liam - Thanks so much for checking out my tribute to our ancestors who created those lazy beds. When I was a little girl in Dublin we grew potatoes in our back garden, a very odd site in Dublin. My mother is from West Cork so she was a great woman for creating lazy beds. I remember tending the beds with her as a child. I also spent a lot of time in Cork as a child where both my grannies grew potatoes. So much to learn in the garden. I wish I had paid more attention to their garden tips when I was young.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time as a child in Kerry, growing potatoes and picking them in autumn. Hard work for sure, but good for us.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Aoife
Hi, I was wondering if you know of any other sites of lazy beds in Ireland? Hopefully further north around Donegal or Derry. I'm doing an investigation on them for my dissertation. Thanks
Irish American Mom
Hi Aoife - I didn't find any evidence for Donegal when writing this piece, but I'm sure the evidence is still there in some remote spots. Here are some links for photos of lazy beds in some counties in Northern Ireland. Beragh is near Omagh so this might be worth checking out ... http://www.geograph.ie/photo/90676
Here are a few other links that might help ...
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/469111
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/1401036
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/3357303
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/755861
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/3357424
I hope these help and best of luck with your dissertation.
All the best,
Mairéad
Cathy Tyler
I was thrilled to come across your description of the “lazy beds”. My sister and I toured Southern Ireland in 2018, but I didn’t notice the furrows until working on watercolors from my photos after we got back. You gave me a good understanding of what I didn’t even realize I’d seen!
Irish American Mom
Hi Cathy - I'm so glad this post helped explain Ireland's furrowed fields. We see them and don't realize the history behind them. Happy painting and I hope you stir fond memories of your time in Ireland as you recreate your images through your paintings.
All the best,
Mairéad