A huge thanks to Gerard Madden, who delivered a fantastic lecture to our members and audience in the back room of Wood and Bell café last Wednesday evening!
Even though it was a beautiful and warm summer night, we welcomed over fifty to hear the stories of those who lived during the Great Famine in East Clare. Much of the research was heart-rending, especially as we heard about the conditions in Scariff Workhouse. Also interesting was Ger’s account of the Purdon Famine Memorial, which once stood outside Tinerana near Killaloe, and the famine pots which can still be seen in Tuamgraney graveyard. There was a 10% drop in the population of Killaloe during the famine years, and Ger took us through exactly how this came to happen, from a wide-ranging national context, to an in-depth study of what went on locally.
You can purchase Ger’s incredible book on this subject at this link here. There is an article in the Clare Champion which gives a good overview of the subject here – if you missed the lecture, this is a good catch-up.
Stay tuned for details of our June lecture!
Killaloe-Ballina
thanks! for the followup on Ger Madden’s talk, which gives those who missed it a decent flavor of the presentation.
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