Rural Ireland in the past
In this old photograph you can see cattle grazing in a field by a mountain side. In the past farming in Ireland was very hard work and lots of people were needed to run the farms. In areas where the land wasn't very good many families who lived off the land were very poor. They lived on the food that they could produce themselves, which was often just potatoes.
Rural Ireland in the past
Rural Ireland in the past
In this old photograph you can see cattle grazing in a field by a mountain side. In the past farming in Ireland was very hard work and lots of people were needed to run the farms. In areas where the land wasn't very good many families who lived off the land were very poor. They lived on the food that they could produce themselves, which was often just potatoes.
Rural Sligo has seen great changes in the last one hundred years. The population has more than halved since 1911. There were four times as many people in rural Sligo in 1841 (before the famine) than nowadays.
Lissadell House
This photograph shows Lissadell House in County Sligo. It was originally the home of the Gore-Booth family. One of the most famous members of this family was the Irish revolutionary Constance Markievicz. This was where she grew up.
Copyright Sligo County LibraryLissadell House
Copyright Sligo County Library
Copyright Sligo County Library
Lissadell House
This photograph shows Lissadell House in County Sligo. It was originally the home of the Gore-Booth family. One of the most famous members of this family was the Irish revolutionary Constance Markievicz. This was where she grew up.
Copyright Sligo County LibraryOne of the reasons for this is that there was a lot more employment in rural Ireland in the past. Long ago all the work on farms had to be done by hand and so there was a lot more work for people in the countryside. Long ago Constance Markievicz's family estate at Lissadell provided lots of work for the people of rural Sligo.
Population decline in rural Sligo
Although the Famine (1845-1849) greatly reduced the population all across Ireland, the decline continued for many years afterwards. The number of people living in rural Sligo has decreased even since the 1950s. Agricultural employment has declined and the number of families engaged in farming has dropped by one third.
Rural Ireland Case Study: Templeboy
Templeboy is a parish in West Sligo. In the 1841 the population of this parish was 3,812 while today it is only 474. The Famine caused an immediate decline but the number of people living here fell for many years afterwards as well.
Wind Farm
This windfarm in Kingsmountain, Templeboy is a recent development.
Wind Farm
Wind Farm
This windfarm in Kingsmountain, Templeboy is a recent development.
Today many of residents of rural areas such as Templeboy commute to work in Sligo and other towns. Although not as many people farm the land here anymore other opportunities are becoming available. This windfarm in Kingsmountain, Templeboy is a recent development.
Click here to follow this link to find out more about why the west of Ireland is a good place to put a windfarm.
Lough Easky Quiz
Lough Easky Quiz
Gallery
Ordnance Survey map of the Lissadell estate
This section of map of the Lissadell estate shows some of the employments at the time. Can you list some?
Copyright Sligo County Library.Ordnance Survey map of the Lissadell estate - Copyright Sligo County Library.
Digging for potatoes during the Great Irish Famine
This type of illustration was used to show the hardship caused by the Irish Famine. Do you think it was effective?
Courtesy of Carlow County LibraryDigging for potatoes during the Great Irish Famine - Courtesy of Carlow County Library