Famine walls were built throughout Ireland, especially in the west and south, in the mid-19th century, during the Great Famine. A great deal of these walls were built in Catholic communities in the north.[1] The walls were built as famine-relief works projects, sponsored by landlords and churches to provide work and income for unemployed peasants.[2][3][4][5]
Purpose
editMany of the walls served little practical purpose other than giving work to the poor and clearing the land of stones.[6] The stones were collected from nearby fields and mountains.[1] However, one particularly important use of the famine walls was to establish and divide the properties of farmers and locals.[7]
The walls are generally around 8–10 feet (2.4–3.0 m) high and 300 yards (270 m) long.[3] Along some of the walls are periodic holes built in to the structures, which records say were a way for two parties to stand on opposite sides of the wall and touch fingers through a hole, signifying making an agreement or contract.[2][3]
Building these famine walls was incredibly demanding work. Due to the ongoing famine, some died while working.[8]
Payment
editMen and women alike were hired to build these structures, but were paid differently despite doing the same work.[1] Additionally, young boys over the age of ten were hired.[1] Men, who earned 10 pence, were paid more than women and children, who earned 4 pence, for 10 hours of work.[1] Furthermore, each, regardless of age or gender, received one meal every 14 days for their work.[1]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail". cpht.ie. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- 1 2 "Stone Walls". www.dochara.com. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- 1 2 3 "Famine Wall at Maghery". www.discoveringireland.com. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ↑ Kinealy, Christine (14 March 2017). The Great Irish Famine: Impact, Ideology and Rebellion. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-31722-2.
- ↑ "Famine-era wall in Ballyhogue made a protected structure". independent. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
- ↑ "Ireland's Famine Walls Text". slkphotography. Retrieved 27 January 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "What was the potato famine? The causes of Ireland's tragic famine period". Hillwalk tours. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ DeLeon, Sophia (17 October 2023). "Féar Gortach: Memorialization of the Great Hunger in Irish Folklore". UF Journal of Undergraduate Research.
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