Irish-American History
By Michael DurkinLesson 4: What Famine?
Peel's Brimstone
Peel’s Brimstone and other Foodstuffs
The main difficulties involved with the acceptance of Indian meal were that the Cottiers and labourers had become ever more dependent on the potato. They did not know how to cook the meal. Some tried to eat it raw because they did not have fuel to cook it with. None had been informed as how to prepare it as bread or a stirabout. Eaten raw , the sharp grain was able to cut the intestinal wall and earned itself the name ‘ Peel’s Brimstone ’, partly because of its colour and partly because it burned.
Greens of all sorts , Cress , Dandelion leaves and Nettles were always regarded as good for soup and it became a byword that the best young nettles grew in the Graveyards. A song not usually associated with the famine period showed the practice of bringing anything back for the pot. This would have included roots, mushrooms , nuts and berries
Twas down by the glenside I met an old woman A-Plucking young nettles She ne’er saw me coming I listened a while to the song she was humming Glory-o , Glory –o , to the bold Fenian men
By the time Black ’47 came around , there was little left to forage for in the fields and hedgerows were silent of any birds as both wild eggs and birds had been eaten There was a silence over the land. Not only were dogs , donkeys and even horses eaten. Foxes , hedgehogs , frogs , rabbits and badgers featured on the menu as long as a supply lasted.
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