The Famine and Sheep’s Head Lighthouse

Before we went on our hike to Sheep’s Head Lighthouse, we stopped in Skibbereen to learn more about the Great Famine (1845-1852) and how devastating it was to the area.

The Skibbereen area lost over a third of its people during the Great Famine. We were able to read the first hand accounts by a Dr. Donovan reporting on the disease, starvation and death from that area. It was extremely difficult to read, heartbreaking and unimaginable. 😢
Between 8,000 and 10,000 unidentified souls from Skibbereen are buried in the infamous Famine burial pits.

My pictures today are mainly from our hike at Sheep’s Head and the town of Bantry, but the devastating history of the Famine is the biggest memory from today.

A little side note: We have to give our guide, Tom, huge kudos for dealing with an unexpected flat tire on the van 🚐 while on our way this morning. In his words, “It was just a little bit of drama”. 🙂Lue lisää