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The Famine in Rusheen

Introduction

Last year the pupils from 3rd to 6th classes in Rusheen N.S. did a project about the Famine in Rusheen in they're area . We studied how many people died or had to go to workhouses during the Famine and we also found out the increase or decrease in population in each of our townlands. We researched
Census Returns 1841 and1851
Griffiths Valuation
Fr. kearneys Letters.
On this page you will find a summary of our book.
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This is the famine monument erected by the Aghinagh Heritage Group to commemorate The Great Famine. The plaque reads "This monument which stands close to the site of a famine soup house is in rememberance of all those who died in the great famine 1845-1847, unveiled by Fr. Philip O'Keeffe P.P. 14th December, 1997".

The Famine in Rusheen In 1845 some of the present parish of Aghinagh was in Aghbulogue. The 1845 parish of Aghinagh was a 4 x 5 mile rectangle. There were about 440 houses in 1841 and it had a population of 1,159.There were about 120 Protestants in the parish, a very high number. Most of the land was considered good land, only 800/9420 acres was considered wasteland. Landowners , according to Griffiths Valuation 1850 were Daniel Coakely, WilliamWhiteHedges of Macroom Castle, Woodleys of Leades, Richard Lloyd, Rev. James Gollock ,Rev. Pyne ,Steven Copinger , Thomas Croke and Gumbleton . It also lists Aghinagh as having a church and Ballyvongane N.S. , Carragadrohid with a Church of England school; Caum with a Catholic chapel and graveyard,; and Coolalta with a Church of England school and teacher's dwelling. Aghinagh's Parish Priest during 'The Great Famine' was Rev. Denis O' Kearney who lived at Leades Cottage. There were many big houses in this area. Francis Woodley was landlord in Leades , Warsop Cooper in Cooper's Ville , Fuller Harnett in Deelish , Croke in Killbehert and Radley in Rockville . Aghinagh was part of Macroom Poor Law Union , established in 1838 . Aghinagh , as it was during the Famine , suffered less then some other parishes , since it had better land conditions . Aghinagh owned £639 in Rates for Poor Law Relief in 1848 . In 1841 the population of the townlands we surveyed around Rusheen was 1159 . In 1851 the population was 867 , which means that 352 either died or emigrated during the Famine . The % drop in population in our area was approximately 30% .

Fr. Denis O' Kearney Fr. Denis O' Kearney was the parish priest of Aghinagh at the time of the Famine . Here is a little piece about Fr. O' Kearney . He did trojan work for his parishioners during the famine . There is a plaque on the wall in Ballinamorrive Church as he is buried near the Alter . Fr. O' Kearney was born in Rockmills, Kildollery . Fr. O' Kearney was appointed parish priest of Aghinagh in 1837,and remained here until his death from famine fever in 1848
This is Richard and Mary Cotters house in Leades where Fr. Kearney lived.

Fr. Kearneys Letters Fr. O'Kearney was a Parish Priest in Aghinagh During the Famine. He wrote numerous letters to the editor of the Cork Examiner. This is an extract from a letter on November 18th, 1846.
My dear sir, We have no time to breathe or at all attend to our usual occupations in this neighbourhood so great is the pressure upon us in consequence of the deplorable state of the poor people. Mr. John O'Connell as many more and I myself have for the last fortnight ten hands beyond my usual number. Several others have acted similarly. I am glad to tell you the comfortable farmers in this parish are behaving nobly. Their subscriptions are in amount far beyond their means. I expect a great deal from the resident and would I could say from the non-resident gentry. My neighbour. Mr. Hernett of Dellish has kindly sent me ten pounds, his second subscription.
Sincerely, my dear Sir. Denis O'Kearney, P.P.
For our famine project we wrote some poems on the famine. This one was written by Abby.

A Famine Song
The Year was 1845,
When the people got the worst fright of their lives,
The potatoes were all rotten and bad,
Which left the people feeling awfully sad.
Many people had to emigrate,
But this wasn't the worst of fates,
Some of the people that stayed home,
Were so skinny you could feel their very bones,
Lord help us not to forget,
About the famines that are still here yet.
This poem was written by Sinéad.

The Famine Sweep
Blight came across the sea,
People had to run or flee,
Or to the work house they would go,
Or walk the road to and fro.
Mothers screamed, babies cried,
Children wailed, Fathers tried,
No house to brush or sweep,
People die, others weep.
This one was written by Máire

Dark Days
It was a gloomy day in 1845
The potatoes were planted the people were alive,
The days were windy with a fungus in the air
In the August of 1845 at first light,
Farmers discovered potatoes with blight
It was then The Great Famine strongly broke out,
Then in the streets people shout out
People begging with sorrow,
To the workhouse people did follow
And in the air was death,
And the people were buried beside the grey path.