Famine Commemoration
by Dave Walden
Famine commemorations have
been taking place throughout the country and the
Cumann Staire had several discussions at their
meetings as to how they would make their small
contribution.
There are few records of
how the famine affected the parish of Iveleary,
and it is possible to draw certain conclusions
from, for instance, a study of population
statistics. Even so, apart from some well-known
stories, there are few facts about the effects
and ramifications of such a seminal event in the
history of this area.
Undoubtedly some
fared better than others, but for many at the
time, the soup kitchen provided at least a
temporary reprieve from hunger.
Many soup
kitchens were set up in parishes all over the
country. Some were operated by charitable
individuals doing what they could, some by
humanitarian organisations.
During
a field trip by the History Society in 1995,
Coolmountain house was visited, where during the
worst years of the Famine a soup kitchen
operated. A Mr. Denis O'Leary, the owner of
Coolmountain House at the time, ordered a large
soup pot from England and proceeded as best he
could to alleviate the suffering in his area.
The story goes that a large bell was tolled
whenever the soup was prepared. The bell seems
to have been lost but the large vessel, the
famine pot, had survived intact and was being
used as a tank for watering the cattle.
The present incumbent of Coolmountain House
suggested that the Cumann Staire take the pot
away, as he felt that the use he was putting it
to did not reflect the importance of such an
historical artifact.
Unfortunately the
society did not act on the suggestion
immediately, and the pot was collected by
another person, Les Carter.
As it
happens, for a year the pot was used by its new
owner in a lively fashion. Fires were made
beneath it, water heated and it became an
outdoor bath for the family of Les Carter in the
Mealagh valley.
The Society made a few
overtures to get the pot returned to the parish
and eventually it was agreed that if the pot was
going to be respected according to its history,
then the Society repatriate to the parish where
it belonged.
With the pot back in the
parish, ideas were then discussed as to what to
do with it. It was decided to locate the Famine
Pot in a permanent position as a memorial to the
famine victims, the emigrants and the survivors.
Several sites were proposed and the small
green island outside the Dairygold creamery
became the favourite. During the discussions
with Dairygold over the use of the site,
Dairygold came up with the idea that the ground
in question should be donated by them to the
Historical Society. This was agreed and with the
help of the Tidy Towns Committee the site has
been improved with a new wall and top soil.
If the Famine Pot were left in the open it
would fill with water and litter in no time at
all, so it was decided that a small structure
should be built over it. The design for this
structure was undertaken by Luc Racine and the
final design incorporates bent oak beams and old
slates. The shape is deliberate and intends to
imitate a type of 'house' that many poor people
of those times had to live in, that is bent wood
laid together with straw thatching over to keep
out the rain.
With the sponsorship of a
supporting frame from Firebird Boilers,
Ballymakeera, and a grant for some of the
materials from Údaras Na Gaeltachta, the project
was able to get underway. At the time of
writing the plans to erect this memorial are
well advanced If everything goes according to
plan it should be completed before the end of
1997, Famine Commemoration year.