1846-7 The Bad Times In Achill (Famine In Achill) (1941)

My father had a hooker and he went down to Rathfram (a townland near Killala in Mayo) for a cargo of potatoes. He drank the money he had with him to pay for the cargo, he fell in (became acquainted) with an office of the coastguards in Rathfarm be the name Lyons. My father waited in Lyons’ and he sent home more money to pay for the potatoes when he got the money he paid for the cargo and came home around Erris Head. When he was in Rathfarm there was no turf in the place but cipíns (cipíní ádmaid). The following year my father went down for another cargo of potatoes and he brought another hooker and his own and had two cargoes of turf down with them, he got the two cargoes of potatoes for the two cargoes of turf and I’m sure he gave a good supply to Lyons. Sometime after that Lyons was sent to Achill Beg where there was a station (Coast Guard’s Station) then, when he met my father he kissed him, he was so fond of him. They were great friends surely till he died (my father).