Deserted
Achill, Mayo, Ireland
One of the homes in the deserted village on Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland.
As an Australian who grew up in rural Australia, I am more than used to deserted and abandoned homes and farm buildings. Many are the reasons for this, hard luck in drought, fire or flood or in happier circumstances simply upgrading to a more modern building.
I don't think I was quite prepared for this though. The deserted village on Achill was abandoned in the 19C as a result of the potato famine in Ireland when the potato crops, a food staple in that country, failed a number of years in a row due to a potato blight leaving a trail of destitution and death.
Many Irish were forced emigrate to the USA, Canada and Australia and, as an Australian, that was our good fortune as we can argue that Irish Australians have enriched our country for well over a century socially, economically, intellectually and culturally. Incidentally I have no Irish ancestry of which I am aware.
But I digress. This village was abandoned as a result of the potato famine but it does seem that the inhabitants there were relatively fortunate as they were able to move to the nearby coast and live off the bounty of the Atlantic Ocean. Nonetheless this abandoned village is a very poignant reminder of a very grim period in Irish history.
Deserted
Achill, Mayo, Ireland
One of the homes in the deserted village on Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland.
As an Australian who grew up in rural Australia, I am more than used to deserted and abandoned homes and farm buildings. Many are the reasons for this, hard luck in drought, fire or flood or in happier circumstances simply upgrading to a more modern building.
I don't think I was quite prepared for this though. The deserted village on Achill was abandoned in the 19C as a result of the potato famine in Ireland when the potato crops, a food staple in that country, failed a number of years in a row due to a potato blight leaving a trail of destitution and death.
Many Irish were forced emigrate to the USA, Canada and Australia and, as an Australian, that was our good fortune as we can argue that Irish Australians have enriched our country for well over a century socially, economically, intellectually and culturally. Incidentally I have no Irish ancestry of which I am aware.
But I digress. This village was abandoned as a result of the potato famine but it does seem that the inhabitants there were relatively fortunate as they were able to move to the nearby coast and live off the bounty of the Atlantic Ocean. Nonetheless this abandoned village is a very poignant reminder of a very grim period in Irish history.