In 1846, more than 100,000 Irish people left their homeland to travel to Canada, Australia and United States. The picture depicts a family leaving their village while the neighbours look on.
The following information is taken primarily from The Famine Years in the Parish of Killaloe 1845-1851 by Sean Kierse. In 2005, I had a telephone conversation with Sean Kierse and subsequently was able to locate a copy of his book (long out of print). The year 1846 is significant since William Loane and Sarah Winnett left Killaloe with their six children during this year. The children ranged in age from one year to 16 .Why Emigrate?
The 8000 plus people living in Killaloe in 1846 were already familiar with difficult times. A severe famine in 1830 was the beginning of a 15 year interlude of crop failures that culminated with the crisis of 1846. For many, the threat of starvation was an annual event. Semi-starvation was often accompanied by outbreaks of cholera. Terrorist groups like the Rockites and Terry Alts blamed the British government and targeted anyone supporting authority.
Excerpt page 13-14 The Famine Years in the Parish of Killaloe 1845-1851 by Sean KierseOn 20th January, 1845, the houses of Jeremiah Scanlan and James Moloney, farmers of Ardclooney, were attacked and two guns and a case of pistols stolen. That same night the house of Mr. Whites's steward at Fort Henry, was also searched for firearms, but these had fortunately been left in the police barrack for safety.
On the previous Friday night a party of Rockites visited the house of James Denniston, owner oth the mill at O'Briensbridge, and left a notice threatening him with the "usual fate", if he did not abandon an adjoining field. The same month, "a strong armed party of countrymen" carried out a campaign of terror in the vicinity of Aharinagh, where "for three nights shots were heard every hour upon the surrounding hills".
Early in March, Mr J. Connell of Killaloe, received a threatening notice to prepare his coffin if he did not conform to the laws of the Terry Alts, and later the same month the widow Smith's house at Ballygarreen was attacked by an armed party of "midnight legislators" because she had taken land from which the tenants had been ejected. On Sunday evening, 7th April, while walking in his ground at Kincora Lodge, Killaloe, Mr Thomas O'Brien, Attorney, was served with a Rockite notice by two fellows armed with blunderbusses.
Who lived on the land?
A fair proportion of the land in the Killaloe region was held by tenant farmers working plots of about 10 to 15 acres. Most of the land of the small farms was given up to tillage to pay the rent and provide food for the tenant and his family. The rent went directly to the land owner. The usual crops were potatoes, corn, some wheat and flax. The tenant farmers weren't immediately affected by the failed potatoe crop since they had other foods to fall back on.
Excerpt page 5-7 The Famine Years in the Parish of Killaloe 1845-1851 by Sean Kierse
There was another kind of land-holder in the parish, namely, the cottier, or labourer, who rented con-acre for potatoes, at £4 to £10 an acre, usually from a poor or small farmer. The majority of the population was of this class which depended solely on the crop of potatoes from the acre or so of land attached to their miserable dwellings. They were to be found scattered throughout the parish in poor cabins built of mud and miserably thatched, with very little furniture and with beds of straw laid on the ground.
There were "not less than 60... destitute widows in the parish, whose state was deplorable". Too proud to beg openly, they stayed at home in their wretched cabins pining in hopeless misery. Their entire support was the precarious charity of their own equals, who were little better off than themselves.
The law did not provide for orphans. They and deserted children were looked after by the church wardens. People worked as long as health and energy permitted. The sick/poor depended on donations. At all times of the year large number os able-bodied men were out of work; but in summer thre was the greatest scarcity of employment. In Killaloe town, in 1835, there ewere 16 rsident beggars, and about 100 families elsewhere in the parish, consisiting of 1000 persons whoe occasionally were obliged to beg.
Killaloe Town Life
William Loane and his family operated a shoe maker shop and public house at #70 Main Street. Several Winnett families also lived and worked in town. (shoemaker history) (pub history)
The population of the town (1841 census) was 2009 persons, living in 282 houses. The City of Dublin Steam Company as the largest employer, maintained a pier, graving dock and marl-dock.
Excerpt page 10-11 The Famine Years in the Parish of Killaloe 1845-1851 by Sean Kierse
A multiplicity of crafts and trades, most of them long since gone and forgotten in the age of mass prodution, was carried on in the town. There were ten bakers, all except one operating on Main Street, which was then called High Street, together with nine boot and shoe makers, four butchers; three corn dealers; twelve grocers; four leather sellers; five linen drapers; two feather and skin dealers; three painters and glaziers; two saddlers; two slaters; three stone masons; one tailor; severn public houses and one pawn-broker. Some of the public houses had names such as the "Red Lion", and the "National Tavern". Also listed were milleers, weavers, dressmakers, gardeners, porter dealers, hardwaremen and coal and timber dealers.
The town also boasted of one hotel, a post office, a constabulary barrack, a military barrack, a gaol and courthouse, a revenue police office, a dispensary and three doctors.
Besides the Catholic and Protestant places of worship there was also a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in John Street. The town had five schools: two national schools; one Protestant (Church Education Society) school, one classical and on pay school.
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