Reverent Robert Browne Letter to the Lord Lieutenant, 1846

The Great Famine 1845

The Reverent Robert Browne, the Glebe, Oughterard wrote to the Lord Lieutenant on the 24th March 1846 that his area was in a bad state through a shortage of potatoes. People were constantly coming to his door and he was doing what he could for them. One village Magheramore, had 73 houses another near 40, another 16. Of these 45 were in great need. Thirty villages and the small town of Oughterard were in want. ‘My Glebe House is incessantly surrounded with these poor people appealing to me and entreating me to go and visit their farms and houses to evidence the truth of their statements. I have done so and will continue, if spared to do so.’