Any evidence of cannibalism during Irish Famine

Rabidlamb · 26-02-2013 2:51pm #1

Reading last week about the North Korean famines & cannibalism made me curious enough to ask the unthinkable.

Is there any evidence that we resorted to the same ?

CreepingDeath · 26-02-2013 3:00pm

Still better than taking the protestant soup...

CruelCoin · 26-02-2013 3:01pm

Without a doubt it happened.

You think 1,000,000 people starved to death and not one of them thought long and hard about having a man-wich?

Seachmall · 26-02-2013 3:01pm

I've tried cannibalism but the smell of fish makes me heave.

DrumSteve · 26-02-2013 3:02pm

Too soon.

JohnnyChimpo · 26-02-2013 3:03pm

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Still better than taking the protestant soup...

Unless it was made from real Protestants.

OP I'm pretty sure this did happen a lot, and is where the "Shepherd's Pie" originates from

smash · 26-02-2013 3:03pm

Seachmall wrote: »

I've tried cannibalism but the smell of fish makes me heave.

Are you a fish?

JohnnyChimpo · 26-02-2013 3:05pm

OMG you can't just ask someone if they're a fish

Rabidlamb · 26-02-2013 3:08pm

DrumSteve wrote: »

Too soon.

Do you remember them gnawing at your leg while you were only sleeping

mikom · 26-02-2013 3:09pm

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Reading last week about the North Korean famines & cannibalism made me curious enough to ask the unthinkable.

Is there any evidence that we resorted to the same ?

Remember reading about this before....

Cannibalism was likely practiced in Ireland during the Famine, Professor Cormac O Grada of University College Dublin told a New York conference on world hunger at Fordham University on Monday.
O Grada, a leading expert on famine, said there were many rumors about it in Ireland, but one documented report involved a John Connolly in the West of Ireland who came before the court on theft charges.
In the course of the prosecution, it emerged that the family were in such desperate straits that his wife had eaten some of the flesh off the leg of the dead body of her son.
The son’s body was exhumed and it was discovered that his flesh was indeed missing. Connolly was immediately discharged, O Grada noted, as the desperate condition of the Famine victims was taken into account.
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Cannibalism-was-likely-practiced-in-Irish-famine-says-leading-expert-151504185.html

Rented Mule · 26-02-2013 3:09pm

You'd need to eat an entire village in one go just to feel full.

CreepingDeath · 26-02-2013 3:14pm

When I heard cannibalism I thought of someone being murdered first... but I imagine there were cases were people died of natural causes/starvation and they were eaten by others.

MadsL · 26-02-2013 3:22pm

Didn't they make a film about this a few years back.

Walking Ned.

starlings · 26-02-2013 3:22pm

CreepingDeath wrote: »

When I heard cannibalism I thought of someone being murdered first... but I imagine there were cases were people died of natural causes/starvation and they were eaten by others.

terrible desperation to do it, and for very little nutrition from the body of someone who died of hunger.

It's plausible that it happened - thanks for that link Mikom! - but I'd say the sheer awfulness of it means no one passed down the memory of it afterwards. I used to ask my grandparents about the Civil War and they'd clam up - some things weren't to be spoken.

DrumSteve · 26-02-2013 3:22pm

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Do you remember them gnawing at your leg while you were only sleeping

Oh I was awake, bastards didnt even have the decency to wait.

Anyone · 26-02-2013 3:24pm

"Body of Eamon"

"Ah Christ..."

Wompa1 · 26-02-2013 3:26pm

How could you eat meat like that without have some potatoes to go with it. SAVAGES!

Ah no, terrible, terrible event.

Banjo String · 26-02-2013 3:31pm

JohnnyChimpo wrote: »

Unless it was made from real Protestants.

But 'I can't believe it's not protestant' is muck, poor poor substitute.

Corruptedmorals · 26-02-2013 3:34pm

There are plenty of accounts of dogs being eaten and of people eating grass. Understandably, tales of cannibalism do not get passed down.

Truncheon Rouge · 26-02-2013 3:37pm

Nothing happened to 'us' or 'we'.

The real 'we' have drivethru kfc, so we don't have to get out of the car, to save up energy to fight the Brits for another 800 years. Its tiring.

Duggys Housemate · 26-02-2013 4:10pm

Truncheon Rouge wrote: »

Nothing happened to 'us' or 'we'.

The real 'we' have drivethru kfc, so we don't have to get out of the car, to save up energy to fight the Brits for another 800 years. Its tiring.

What an odd statement? Can a Jew say "we" or "us" with regard to the holocaust?

Duggys Housemate · 26-02-2013 4:11pm

starlings wrote: »

terrible desperation to do it, and for very little nutrition from the body of someone who died of hunger.

It's plausible that it happened - thanks for that link Mikom! - but I'd say the sheer awfulness of it means no one passed down the memory of it afterwards. I used to ask my grandparents about the Civil War and they'd clam up - some things weren't to be spoken.

There is documented cannibalism in the siege of Leningrad. I say if someone has already died.... go for it.

Rhyme · 26-02-2013 4:12pm

MadsL wrote: »

Didn't they make a film about this a few years back.

Walking Ned.

Night of the Living Ned.

gobnaitolunacy · 26-02-2013 4:18pm

If it did happen, it probably wasn't reported to the newpapers of the time so we wouldn't have a recorded incident.

Pre dating the famine, there was a case of an Irishman, Alexander Pearse, an escaped convict, killing and eating his co-escapees in Tasmania.

MadsL · 26-02-2013 4:20pm

Rhyme wrote: »

Night of the Living Ned.

Glad someone finally got it.

Sean-nós of the Dead?

Where To · 26-02-2013 4:24pm

MadsL wrote: »

Glad someone finally got it.

Sean-nós of the Dead?

Who said we didn't get it?:P

As someone already said, it's not exactly the kind of story that gets retold around the fire of a February evening.

mark renton · 26-02-2013 4:30pm

There are 2 conditions under which cannabilism is accepted, one is famine, other is a plane crash in snow capped mountain.

This is why its important to stay skinny, survial.

Truncheon Rouge · 26-02-2013 5:20pm

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

What an odd statement? Can a Jew say "we" or "us" with regard to the holocaust?

Not really, no.
'We' infers you were there during the event.

'we' won the battle.
'we' invented this product.

'we' were born in the late 20th/ early 21st century and have never known medieval times, hand to hand battle, famine.

when was the last time 'we' didn't have access to a mcdonalds.

Roger_007 · 26-02-2013 5:31pm

Hard to know, there was no DNA testing of burgers at the time!

Duggys Housemate · 26-02-2013 5:35pm

Truncheon Rouge wrote: »

Not really, no.
'We' infers you were there during the event.

'we' won the battle.
'we' invented this product.

'we' were born in the late 20th/ early 21st century and have never known medieval times, hand to hand battle, famine.

when was the last time 'we' didn't have access to a mcdonalds.

So a African American man can't say "We were enslaved"? And in talking about them as 3rd parties we must say. African Americans of that time but not now were enslaved....

These are your own personal rules, right?

Micky Dolenz · 26-02-2013 5:40pm

Not at all relevant to the famine but this guy has some story.

Shows the extremes some will go to for food.

D1stant · 26-02-2013 5:41pm

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

If it did happen, it probably wasn't reported to the newpapers of the time so we wouldn't have a recorded incident.

Reporters. Mmmm Yummy

ejmaztec · 26-02-2013 5:50pm

Hannibal O'Lecter.:(

Truncheon Rouge · 26-02-2013 6:46pm

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

So a African American man can't say "We were enslaved"? Answer - NO And in talking about them as 3rd parties we must say. African Americans of that time but not now were enslaved Answer - Yes....

If you weren't involved in something you don't get to claim a part in it.
You don't get to claim other peoples suffering or victory.
If some random person in Ireland has a child today you're not going out for a pint are you
If I convert to judaism tomorrow I won't be saying people killed US in concentration camps.

YOU didn't suffer famine YOU didn't fight as a rebel.
YOU weren't there.

ScumLord · 26-02-2013 6:50pm

Wompa1 wrote: »

How could you eat meat like that without have some potatoes to go with it.

You can't. That's why we all starved. It was a potato famine not a food shortage.

Duggys Housemate · 26-02-2013 6:57pm

Truncheon Rouge wrote: »

If you weren't involved in something you don't get to claim a part in it.
You don't get to claim other peoples suffering or victory.
If some random person in Ireland has a child today you're not going out for a pint are you
If I convert to judaism tomorrow I won't be saying people killed US in concentration camps.

YOU didn't suffer famine YOU didn't fight as a rebel.
YOU weren't there.

I see, but these are your rules aren't they, as I said? You can have those rules, and the rest of the world will use "we" or "us" to describe stuff which happened to our ancestors.

Son Of A Vidic · 26-02-2013 7:05pm

There were thousands of reports of Irish mothers atein the holes of their sons. But I don't think any solid evidence was ever discovered.

Truncheon Rouge · 26-02-2013 7:12pm

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

I see, but these are your rules aren't they, as I said? You can have those rules, and the rest of the world will use "we" or "us" to describe stuff which happened to our ancestors.

What was it like during those days ?? How did you ever get by.

GhostInTheRuins · 26-02-2013 7:40pm

I was say it 100% definitely happened during the famine.

Of course it mightn't be the first time such a thing has happened here. According to the ancient greek geographer Strabo, this is what he knew about the irish:

[Ireland's] inhabitants are more savage than the Britons, since they are man-eaters as well as heavy eaters, and since, further, they count it an honourable thing, when their fathers die, to devour them, and openly to have intercourse, not only with the other women, but also with their mothers and sisters.

He doesn't sell the place well I have to say.

ScumLord · 26-02-2013 7:50pm

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

Of course it mightn't be the first time such a thing has happened here. According to the ancient greek geographer Strabo, this is what he knew about the irish:

He doesn't sell the place well I have to say.

Of course they probably said the same about any of the barbarians on the edge of their world.

It's hard to know what Ireland would have truly been like. I watched a BBC documentary "How the Celts saved Britain" and while it was very complimentary to Christian Ireland it dismissed Pre Christian Ireland as a completely backwater (for the time) and "had no roads to speak of" when Ireland did have it's own version of roads. They may not have been as technologically advanced as Roman roads of the time but they were more than just a trail worn in the ground.

fatknacker · 26-02-2013 7:59pm

MadsL wrote: »

Didn't they make a film about this a few years back.

Walking Ned.

Rhyme wrote: »

Night of the Living Ned.

Oh. Oh. I got one:

Ned Flanders is such a............

feck.

GhostInTheRuins · 26-02-2013 8:01pm

ScumLord wrote: »

Of course they probably said the same about any of the barbarians on the edge of their world.

It's hard to know what Ireland would have truly been like. I watched a BBC documentary "How the Celts saved Britain" and while it was very complimentary to Christian Ireland it dismissed Pre Christian Ireland as a completely backwater (for the time) and "had no roads to speak of" when Ireland did have it's own version of roads. They may not have been as technologically advanced as Roman roads of the time but they were more than just a trail worn in the ground.

Indeed! I was in a small museum recently and they had fragments of wooden bog roads (I'm not sure of the correct term) that went for miles and miles, over bogland no less, and they were dated at at least 5,000 years ago.

Banjo String · 26-02-2013 9:08pm

Truncheon Rouge wrote: »

Not really, no.
'We' infers you were there during the event.

'we' won the battle.
'we' invented this product.

'we' were born in the late 20th/ early 21st century and have never known medieval times, hand to hand battle, famine.

when was the last time 'we' didn't have access to a mcdonalds.

Truncheon Rouge wrote: »

If you weren't involved in something you don't get to claim a part in it.
You don't get to claim other peoples suffering or victory.
If some random person in Ireland has a child today you're not going out for a pint are you
If I convert to judaism tomorrow I won't be saying people killed US in concentration camps.

YOU didn't suffer famine YOU didn't fight as a rebel.
YOU weren't there.

Ok, I've got ye now.

We didn't evolve on earth, it was human beings/ our ancestors/apes?

Oh look, there's a white swan that's actually black :rolleyes:

Truncheon Rouge · 26-02-2013 10:59pm

SamHall wrote: »

Ok, I've got ye now.

We didn't evolve on earth, it was human beings/ our ancestors/apes?

Oh look, there's a white swan that's actually black :rolleyes:

YOU didn't evolve on earth. YOU happen to be a human being.

Human beings evolved. It doesn't mean you actually personally grew oppose-able thumbs.

I'm a European - it doesn't mean I took part in shaping western civilization or have responsibility for slave trading. take your :rolleyes:

greenflash · 26-02-2013 11:08pm

Do cannibals prefer ketchup, brown sauce or Ballymaloe relish?

Dwork · 26-02-2013 11:12pm

I have it on good authority that old Megs granny, the "Older" Meg, who was alive at the time of the famine, attempted to eat a part of Billy "Small pockets" McLoughlins great grandfather due to "the hunger". Well, the story was that she was caught in the hay-reeks "gobblin" the mickey off him, if that qualifies. Not sure if that's close enough to class as "cannabalism", but I for one was shocked. Caused quite a stir at the time as well. Apparently there was a wedding soon after. Lead to the term "shotgun marriage" by all local accounts. So now. "Older"Megs dad said Billys great-grandfather was a corpse if he didn't go through with the nuptials, so in a way..

im invisible · 26-02-2013 11:24pm

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

He doesn't sell the place well I have to say.

how do you mean? sounds great craic to me

Banjo String · 26-02-2013 11:36pm

Truncheon Rouge wrote: »

YOU didn't evolve on earth. YOU happen to be a human being.

Reread my post.

never once said I evolved on earth, I implied we (as humans) did.

Your analogy seems to be, that unless any one of us, as an individual lived through or personally experienced an event, then it didn't happen to us.

Which quite frankly is a ludicrous suggestion/idea.

byhookorbycrook · 26-02-2013 11:45pm

"Tomás and Peig O Catháin were living here around 1850 when a storm cut the island off for six weeks. Tomás died and his body putrified, but his wife was too weak to remove the corpse. There was no other shelter on the island, so she dismembered the body and removed the pieces.

When neighbours from Great Blasket could finally visit, the “woman was alone, nearly dead from hunger, and a maniac”, wrote archaeologist George Du Noyer."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2012/0929/1224324489471.html
I remember being told that some pieces were missing,according to a few local historians.

Capt'n Midnight · 26-02-2013 11:49pm

greenflash wrote: »

Do cannibals prefer ketchup, brown sauce or Ballymaloe relish?

Pal O'mine Lotion

Truncheon Rouge · 26-02-2013 11:54pm

SamHall wrote: »

Reread my post.

never once said I evolved on earth, I implied we (as humans) did.

Your analogy seems to be, that unless any one of us, as an individual lived through or personally experienced an event, then it didn't happen to us.

Which quite frankly is a ludicrous suggestion/idea.

Right, so you dont actually need to have something happen in your life... in order for it to have happened to you.

Any evidence of cannibalism during Irish Famine

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