Strokestown - Site of the National Famine Museum

The designers of the Famine Museum declare upfront to “balance the history of the “Big House” using original documents from the archives found in the house. It is a tenant’s telling of the story… I found myself getting educated and feeling more informed about the famine than before I visited the museum.

It was also insightful and moving how the museum also brought together the link between the Famine in Ireland and the famines that today are occurring
around the world.
http://www.strokestownpark.ie/introtext.html
Strokestown - Site of National Famine Museum

Strokestown - The Perspective of the Ascendency

It is clear from historical records found in the big house at Strokestown that the Mahon family landowners of Strokestown during the Famine set about enforcing evictions for those who had rent in arrears and an emigration policy on an extensive scale to remove the poor and destitute from the land. Under the Poor laws in force in Ireland, the Mahon family would have been responsible for the destitute in their area. It was cheaper for them, as all landowners in Ireland at the time, to send the tenant on an assisted emigration passage than to pay for their upkeep in the workhouse. Built in the 18th century by the Pakenham-Mahon family, the family used only about one tenth of the land (about 100 acres) for their own use for hunting, fishing, gardening, the rest of the 10,000acres were rented out to tenant farmers or middle men who would sub let out small plots to tenant farmers.
Terms ....
Rudale system – people from a townland coming together in a collective partnership and rent land in a communal manner.
Clachan – housing settlement in the rundale system
Scalpeen - makeshift shelter that evicted families erected from the remains of their dwellings

In 1847, Mahon was the first of seven landlords to be assassinated in Ireland during this period. Two men were hanged for the murder.

To respond to Famine issues today - please consider a donation to http://www.concern.net

Growing up in Ireland in the 1950's and 60's there was little mention of the Great Famine. It was if there was a great shame associated with it. Finally, today there are sites and museums recognising the catastrophic conditions and toll in human suffering with an Ghorta Mhor - Buiochas le Dhia.
Conspiracy of Silence - Folklore Commission

It is a perfect day for taking the ferry boat across the nine mile stretch of the open Atlantic ocean to Tory Island. This view is of the eastern part of the island known as Dun Balor
Visit to Oileain Toraigh - Tory Island, off Donegal coastline

Journey to "Oileain Toraigh" - Tory Island

This is the place to feel the presence of myth and history intersecting. Not only is it another one of the sacred sites I have been drawn to visit this summer, it is also the fulfillment of a Donegal dream. Having grown up in Donegal, I listened to the stories about this fiercely independent and mysterious island. Many Donegal natives never make the trip to Tory but fervently talk about one day making the rough journey across to the island, if only to say with a certain degree of pride “I have been to Tory Island”. Part of the mystery with Tory is that even if you plan a trip to Tory on a certain day, you can never count on making the trip on that day because you are completely at the mercy and vagrancies of the weather. Until the actual day arrives, you can only then say with certainty I will go today. There is a fear with many that making the trip over they will get caught by a change in weather and be stranded for days on the island. Today I think is not going to be one of those days. I set off with a certain degree of confidence. Is there a metaphor for living life here?

Tory Island or Oilean Toraigh in Gaeilge, is believed to have been the earthly home of mythical people before the arrival of Christianity. Most famous are the stories of the fierce Fomorian king, Balor of the Evil Eye, who made his home on Tory. One of his eyes had the power of causing death to anyone who had the misfortune to fall in the path of his glance. As a young man Balor had secretly spied on druids working on a spell of death when a plume of poisonous fumes fanned out over him blinding him in one eye. Unable to quickly run away, the druids found him and told him that the spell of death had entered his eye. Anyone he looked at with that eye would instantly fall dead. Most of the time, Balor kept the eye closed except for battle when it took 10 men to pull open his eye. His evil eye made him a most powerful King of the Fomorians because whole armies could be defeated with one look from Balor’s eye......

to be continued ....

Addition note - check out http://sligoheritage.com/archbalor.htm for additional insights into the Formorians and Balor of the Evil Eye. Some researchers believe that the Formorian stronghold was not on Tory Island but on Dernish Island off the coast of Sligo

Famine Graveyard - Reilig na Ghorta Mhor

Famine Graveyard - An Ghorta Mhor

An Sceath - the lone Tree

All across Ireland today - there are finally signs of recognition and acknowledgement of the Great Famine. Growing up as a child, it was a silent history, a shame, an unspeakable event. It is a good thing that we now can come forward to mourn and grieve allowing our anger to say "not ever again". It answers the puzzle for me why is it that Irish people can be found across the globe today wherever famine strikes - today it is Niger.

This bronze tree in Sligo stands as a symbol of dignity. It commemorates the un-named dead of this area of Sligo who perished in the Great Famine 1845-1847. An Gorta Mor was like a never ending winter. It's chill of desolution brought hunger, disease, and death.

In Ireland, the lone tree or Sceath was held in a position of high importance from early Christian mythology to recent times. The boulder stones surrounding the base allude to ancient forms of burial.

“ Mar sceath fé thathaint na goath tá m’anam á lúbodh anocht.”
Sean Ó Riordáin

Famine Soup Pot - Donegal Historical Society

During the height of the Great Famine, in 1847 demand for the soup kitchen was at its highest and throughout Ireland over 3 million people (out of a population of 8 million) were receiving rations of soup. The Quakers were active in Donegal during the Famine. ... James Tuke, a member of the Society of Friends wrote in 1847 ... "Nothing, indeed, can describe too strongly the dreadful conditions of the people. Many were living on a single meal of cabbage and some even, as we were assured, upon a little seaweed."