TalkingScot.com

One of my favorite books is IRISH by JOHN BURROWES a must for those who had ancestors come over from Ireland to Scotland in the famine

maceill

Hi Maceill,

You've sparked my interest with your suggestion, so I ordered this book which is out of print here in the US. When i placed my order with Barnes & Noble, they only had one copy available in the warehouse, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'll keep everyone posted. By the way, it wasn't available in my local library, otherwise being the good part Scot that I am, I would have borrowed a copy.

Regards
Marilyn

marilyn morning wrote:
which is out of print here in the US. I'll keep everyone posted. By the way, it wasn't available in my local library, otherwise being the good part Scot that I am, I would have borrowed a copy.

Regards
Marilyn

A girl after my own heart Marilyn.

Maceill, many thanks for recommending this book. I picked my copy up at Barnes & Noble this afternoon and I haven't been able to put it down. I second Maceill's suggestion and highly recommend this as a must read! The first two chapters; Salvation of a Coffin Ship and The Irish Holocaust were difficult to get through because of the level of emotion involved. The fourth chapter, Poorest of the Poor will take you beyond a Poorhouse Application. I'm fascinated by this book's description of what life was like inside of a Poorhouse, namely "Barnhill."

Page 113, Chapter Four

Stone breaking was another of the Barnhill work tasks. Each inmate would be allocated sufficient quarry boulders which they were expected to break down with heavy sledgehammers into small pieces of stone of a type suitable for road-building.

The women likewise were set a variety of tasks, one of the most labour-intensive being in the laundry, where the prescribed work quota per women was washing 60 sheets or 50 shirts a day. If you couldn't complete the allocations, the management had a simply remedy-you got less for dinner.

Even though it was difficult for me to pay "List Price" for this book, it was worth it. The cost is 10 pounds list or $19.99. There are some new & used copies available on Amazon.com at a cheaper price or contact your local library.

Regards
Marilyn

Hi Marilyn & Joette,

Thanks for posting this. It sounds like a great book. I think that I will buy it second hand. I have to much "Scot's Blood" to pay full price.

Regards

Hi Sheila,

The thanks goes to maceill for suggesting this book. I don't blame you for not paying full price. I couldn't get Amazon to honor my virtual credit card, otherwise I would own a second hand copy myself.

Don't forget to check your local library for a loan, now that's a real Scot!

Its a good read.....

Marilyn

Having just got through all my 3 for 2 offers (The Book Thief, The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns etc..all the Richard and Judy Summer reads ) I thought i should clear my head by reading something different and uplifting and as i am making tracks with my Irish side though i would treck throught the recommendations on here.
Well, i just ordered Irish £7.99 from Daunts in Marylebone High Street (anyone who is visiting London should go in this book shop and take a look as its fantastic) and should have it by the weekend but there is a possibly of it being in tomorrow only i wont be there.
So it looks like more tissues to the ready

As at least one of my rellies was in Barnhill I can hardly see the keyboard to type.
I am again amazed that our ancestors came through such hard times & out the other end.
My GGGGgreat-Grandmother died there at about 80.I do hope she wasn't washing sheets or shirts.I think she had already washed a lifetime of them already.
I will be off to Marleybone High St after my hols.

Joette as far as ordering the book, they were by far the quickest regarding waiting time (but i dont have it yet so we'll see !) and they didnt want payment over the phone like the bookstore equivalent of the coffee chains that will remain nameless besides i would much rather buy from a shop like this - a proper book shop !

Sadly, having read some of the authors other works I expected more from this book especially since its subject matter affected both sides of my direct lines. While none of us alive today can claim to know anything about the hardships endured by our ancestors, especially those from Ireland during the famine period and the decades that followed I had hoped for far more from Mr Burrowes (some sources to back up his claims would have been good).

I could not recommend it to anyone interested in a true rendition of " The remarkable saga of a nation and a city"