Before 1880 there was very little emigration from Achill. Male farm labourers simply moved to Eastern counties for seasonal work. They were hired at hiring fairs for the season.
There was a major increase in emigration after 1880. The reasons for this were high rents, failure of the potato crop and the arrival of better transport.
It was around the early 1880’s that migration to Scotland began. Workers walked 100 miles to Sligo and from there caught the boat to Glasgow. They worked for the potato farmers from June to November and then returned home. In later times transport by boat was provided from both Achill and Westport for seasonal workers. In 1894 a rail – line was developed to Achill, it took the workers straight to Dublin where they boarded the boat to Glasgow. In June 1911 2,100 workers left Achill to pick potatoes in Scotland, they were known as “tautie hokers”.
Achill people began to emigrate to the U.S.A. in the 1880’s. The construction of the Erie Canal was in progress at this time. It linked the Hudson River in New York with Lake Erie which is one of the “Great” Lakes. Thousands of men including many from Achill were employed on this construction. The canal ended in Cleveland, Ohio and the workers settled there when the job was finished.
Today 30,000 names common to the Achill area are visible in the Cleveland telephone directories. These names are Gallagher, Lavelle, Mc Ginty, Sweeney, Mc Samara, Burke, O’Donnell, Corrigan, Joyce, Ferry, Catalan and many others.
In the early part of the 20th Century the older members of families and almost all fathers of families in Achill worked as agricultural workers in different parts of England. They returned home to Ireland in the winter months. Younger workers, women and teenage girls migrated to Scotland until the late 1950’s.
After World War 2 many Achill emigrants took jobs in the building industry and this has continued to the present day. These workers returned home to their families for short holidays in summer and at Christmas.
Since the 1960’s the pattern of emigration from Achill has changed. The main reason for this is education. In earlier times people left school after National School. Nowadays young people do not leave until they have completed their Leaving Certificate. Even then most do not emigrate. They move on to 3rd Level Education and are then available for a better variety of jobs. Many find jobs in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and indeed emigrate to such countries as Britain and Germany or some if they are lucky enough to obtain a visa, emigrate to the U.S.A. Few return to set up home in Achill, and as a result of this the population is declining rapidly.
Population of Achill 1911: 6,800
Population of Achill 1991: 2,800
Deaths in Achill 1995: 101
Births in Achill 1995: 8
A recent mini – census compiled by Loch Gael Community Group (Fast) shows the present population of the Currane Peninsula. It is divided into eight sections. Those sections are Pre – School 20 National School 97 2nd. Level 86 3rd Level 40 Employed 172 Unemployed 108 Housewives 81 Pensioners 166, giving a total population of 770 approx. However this does not include fathers or youths who are forced by unemployment to work overseas.