Background history, including this image - www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0617/1228495-photography-irela...

Streetview (??), by the church on the right, and the house on the left - maps.app.goo.gl/oQwBP1goonNEQWvb7

The church was replaced in 1920, but on the same spot, so [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia]'s streetview is still good.

Via Trove -

THE SUFFERING POOR AT CARRAROE. The Rev. John Healy, P.P., Carraroe, Connemarra, County Galway, appeals to readers of the 'Catholic Times' for assistance for the suffering poor of his parish. He writes : — ' Unless I am to see my people die of hunger before my eyes, I cannot do otherwise than appeal to tho public on their behalf. Furthermore, unless help is speedily forthcoming many of my poor flock will be beyond the reach of it. All the world knows Indian meal gruel, even if there be plenty of it, is not food on which a working man or woman will thrive, but not many of the people here can afford more than one meal per day of this food, while if a potato or other food, no matter how scanty, was to be found in the possession of any family there was no hope of any Government relief for them. When all resources were exhausted the Government relieved about two hundred families to the extent of Is. per family per day. Nothing has been done for the remaining seven hundred families whose condition is exactly similar to those who obtain this pittance. On behalf of those seven hundred families I have no alternative but to appeal to the charity and humanity of readers of the 'Catholic Times.' I am confident they will not see my poor people die of hunger while they can spare a trifle to relieve them.

See - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104495620?searchTerm=c... April 1898

In the 1901 census, here is Patrick Munnelly, Overseer Works Congested Districts Board.

March 2009 streetview is more recognisable - maps.app.goo.gl/cGjaWAed6ENCrDWE9 [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia/53398084832/in/dateposted/]

A report in The Daily Nation (Dublin) on Wednesday 23 February 1898 gives a bit of detail to stone carrying, why women were doing the work, and a name. Carraroe, it says, "where it is not a bog, is a quarry of unlimited extent, and nothing more". The rules for relief work were that only the head of the household could work, and the pay was one shilling a day. Indian corn was 10d per stone. It was not permitted to use a substitute for the head of the household. There was the prospect that the relief work would stop, as the Boasr of Guardians at Oughterard were finding difficulty of raising the required funds though the rates. The writer visited the cabin of Colman Conneally, his wife and three children. They had a donkey and some hens. The three sons were willing and able to work. but could get none. The Conneallys were better off that their neighbour, the widow Wallis.

it was here that I first learned to my very greatest astonishment of the existence of the rule by which only "heads of families" are given work. Mrs Wallis who is a woman of wretched heath is engaged in carrying stones on her back to the stone breakers from morning to night for the sum of tenpence a day, on which she supports her family of four sons. The eldest son is anxious to get on the relief work, but finds it impossible.

More from the Daily Nation correspondent on Saturday 19 February 1898

For this wretched pittance many of those who have obtained employment have to travel no less than from three four miles morning and evening to and from these works. Many of those whom I saw at work were decrepit old men and women whose ranged from to 80 years, the men engaged breaking stones for roadmaking, and the women in carrying sand and stone* for the same purpose. A most peculiar feature in connection with these works is that only the head the family is allowed to work, matter bow many able-bodied persons there may be in the family. The consequence is that frequently a delicate woman, who has lost her husband and left with a large family to support must go out and work in all weathers on the relief works, while her son, who may he a fully grown, able-bodied man cannot get employed as her substitute even the low rate of remuneration given to the females employed. I do not know who is responsible for this extraordinary display of red tape methods, but the fact is as I have stated it, and in face of it does it not seem something closely bordering on sarcasm to refer to such work ‘‘Relief” work, which forces women to lead existence of the hardest drudgery, while the men, who are only too anxious for work, are callously ordered stand aside because they are not heads of families.

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner] I wonder what the people who designed that very strange rule were thinking?

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] The following appeared in the 21st March 1898 edition of the Daily Nation, beginning with a statement from Mr Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland, disputing the rule. Perhaps it was the (mis) interpretation of the law by the Oughterard Board of Guardians?

“The allegation that sick women and decrepit men employed while able-bodied members of the family remain at home is contrary to the fact. The rules provide that where the head the family is sick or unfit for work another member of the family may be substituted.” Now, what are the facts? In the early stages the relief works no substitute for head of a family would taken under any conditions. Such an instance, the case of Mrs Wallace, of Turreen, may be mentioned. Although physically incapable of manual work this poor, delicate woman was obliged to work for some weeks after the inception of the relief works, while her son, a strong, able young fellow was willing to take her place at the same wage, but would not be accepted as a substitute until the mother produced medical certificate of incapacity

The article goes on to quote a gangman who said he wasn't empowered to accept a substitute without a medical certificate, and gave further examples of sick and aged people engaged on the relief work, including a Mrs Landy, who, in its words was "now beyond the reach of relief measures, Guardians, and red tape" having died of fever. Getting a medical certificate could involve a round trip of twenty miles, not something which could be undertaken by the old, infirm or crippled. And it was also pointed out that the doctor of the district had to attend the ailments of 9,000 persons over an area of 180 square miles, and was already overworked without the extra duty of producing medical certificates.

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner] Thank you. They were very hard times!

Thanks for sharing this. God help them!

“ ní thuigeann an sách an seang” “ ní thuigeann sé an bhochtaineacht”

“How photography told the story of Ireland's 1898 food shortage” (Includes our photo and many more which are equally disturbing) www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0617/1228495-photography-irela...

Thank you.....Suck diesel.