Another of our reporters travels to Ireland

Cilla our reporter featured in the photograph recently visited Ireland and shares some history that she learned.

You will never look at the common potato in the same way again.

The Great Famine (1845 - c. 1851) was the greatest catastrophe in modern Irish history, causing the deaths of about a million people and forcing over 2 million to emigrate. The Famine devastated County Donegal. Surviving records of the Great Famine include those relating to the role played by local workhouses. Under the Poor Relief (Ireland) Act of 1838, workhouses were built and set up by the Poor Law Commissioners and local Boards of Guardians shortly before the Famine began.

During the Potato Famine in Ireland, in the years 1845-1848, here in Donegal, a metal pot that looked like a witch's cauldron (made right here in the Northeast at Tyneside) was used to feed 800 people.

The broth or soup would have been made with whatever they could get and people who were dying of starvation would have walked miles to get here.

Many would have died on their journey.

The graveyard has countless people buried there. No one knows how many.

This little tale is from Irish history for those of you who don't know about it.

It truly gives you food for thought.

To learn more please follow the links.

Donegal County Council (donegalcoco.ie)