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Description
Comprised of two separate exhibitions about the Famine and
Lough Hyne, this is an educational place to start your visit to the area.
The Famine Exhibition is a self-guided walk through various
displays and audio visuals about the history of the Famine. Over one million people perished from
starvation and disease, during a time when the entire population of Ireland was
just 8.5 million. Potatoes were the
dietary staple for poor families, with a household of eight eating 25 lbs of
potatoes per day. When the crop was
attacked by the fungal disease phytophthora
infestous from 1845 to 1851, the lack of food had a deadly effect on the
country. What people had been eating
with milk, salt fish, or alone was rendered inedible. The government initiated food aid in 1847 and
the international community sent funds to help start soup kitchens, but this
did not stop the deaths.
Lough Hyne is Europe’s first Marine Nature Reserve. See a film about the history and folklore of
this rare sea lake, located just 3 miles west of Skibbereen.
How to get there
By car:
From Bantry, travel south on the N71 to Skibbereen. Centre is located in the town center.
From Cork, travel south on N71 to Skibbereen. Centre is located in the town center.
By bus:
See www.buseireann.ie
website for all current travel details and restrictions.
Opening times
Mid Mar – May: Tue – Sat: 10AM-6PM
Jun – Mid Sep: Daily: 10AM-6PM
Mid Sep – Oct: Tue – Sat: 10AM-6PM
Nov – Mid Mar: by appointment
Address
Old Gasworks Building
Upper Bridge Street
Skibbereen, Co. Cork
Tel: (0)28 40900
Email:
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Web: www.skibbheritage.com
My experience
A very comprehensive look at the Famine. I like the phone booths. I picked up the receiver and listened to the
words of a person from that time, while watching a fully costumed actor play
the part on a TV screen.
Written by Liz O' Malley - Summer of Travel 2007
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