{"id":4000,"date":"2017-09-28T22:54:04","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T21:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=4000"},"modified":"2017-09-28T23:30:53","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T22:30:53","slug":"the-famine-cross","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-famine-cross\/","title":{"rendered":"The Famine Cross"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the back of St Josephs Hospital in Longford, there is the local famine graveyard. This poem is dedicated to those interred there during the famine, and until the home closed, those folks were the poorest of the poor. They died while in the workhouse, of which the father of the poet Padraic Colum was once the master.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Famine Cross in Longford – Photo by Lalin Swaris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

In testament the Famine Cross there stands
\nNeath which the pauper lies
\nNames little known, often less spoken
\nSleep under the grey and foggy skies…<\/p>\n

Yet still today folk walk the roads
\nUnseen by those whose hurrying feet
\nPass them by on our busy lives
\nAs the live and die on the city street…<\/p>\n

If it was not for the welfare state
\nFor all its faults in these modern days
\nThere would be more to this day in graves like this
\nWho for the passing poet a prayer says.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The poet Padraic Colum was born in Longford workhouse, son of the master of the workhouse, the inmates of which are buried in the famine graveyard behind it… Photo by Lalin Swaris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the back of St Josephs Hospital in Longford, there is the local famine graveyard. This poem is dedicated to those interred there during the famine, and until the home closed, those folks were the poorest of the poor. They died while in the workhouse, of which the father of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[223,75,54],"tags":[80,3868,3875,3869,3872,3870,3873,3876,3874,3867,3871],"class_list":["post-4000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art-inspired-poetry","category-great-famine","category-ireland","tag-an-gorta-mor","tag-genocide-or-famine","tag-granard-poor-law-union","tag-irish-famine-debate","tag-longford-workhouse","tag-mass-grave","tag-padraic-collum","tag-poor-law-union","tag-st-josephs","tag-the-great-famine","tag-workhouse","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-12w","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3948,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/weekend-of-hit-and-miss-in-banagher-and-longford\/","url_meta":{"origin":4000,"position":0},"title":"Weekend of Hit and Miss in Banagher and Longford","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I made the Readings at the Pallet this year, and found that its ten years since I was in at the first one that I attended, with next years being the official 25th its hoped I was told to do something special such as a publication for it which would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Windows in Saint Mels Cathederal in Longford","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Windows-in-Saint-Mels-Cathederal-in-Longford-165x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":547,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-hungry-grass\/","url_meta":{"origin":4000,"position":1},"title":"The Hungry Grass","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"11th September 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A shiver runs up my spine As stories I recall Of people dead in times gone by I was told of when I was small. Of famine dead who to the workhouse went Dropped dead as they our gate did pass And the ground on which they fell Became known\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4026,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/famine-food\/","url_meta":{"origin":4000,"position":2},"title":"Famine Food","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"5th October 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"What we dismiss as a weed Was once all there was to feed The hungry in a land of plenty Guarded by soldiers, stomachs empty They walked the long roads to the workhouse Having lost, house, home and horse. Many on the journey lost their lives The future bleak for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Great Famine"","block_context":{"text":"Great Famine","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/great-famine\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The humble nettle and other roadside herbs are called Famine Food today as it was all people had during An Gorta Mor","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/The-humble-nettle-and-other-roadside-herbs-are-called-Famine-Food-today-as-it-was-all-people-had-during-An-Gorta-Mor.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/The-humble-nettle-and-other-roadside-herbs-are-called-Famine-Food-today-as-it-was-all-people-had-during-An-Gorta-Mor.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/The-humble-nettle-and-other-roadside-herbs-are-called-Famine-Food-today-as-it-was-all-people-had-during-An-Gorta-Mor.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/The-humble-nettle-and-other-roadside-herbs-are-called-Famine-Food-today-as-it-was-all-people-had-during-An-Gorta-Mor.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/sitting-there-saying-nothing\/","url_meta":{"origin":4000,"position":3},"title":"Sitting There Saying Nothing","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"8th April 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J3vA8ycdE3I She sits there saying nothing A wee woman and her wains We know not who she is That sits there with her bains As the Scots would say if seeing What my father claims to have seen That sitting on a wall In broad daylight had been... Going to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/J3vA8ycdE3I\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3522,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/padraic-colum-longford-writer-and-riot-inciter\/","url_meta":{"origin":4000,"position":4},"title":"Padraic Colum : Longford Writer and Riot Inciter","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th February 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Padraic Colum was one of Longfords most famous modern literary figures. The son of a workhouse master, he grew up in the Longford Workhouse, was the cause of the awakening to the cause of Irish freedom of Constance Gore Booth, and was a noted encourager of James Joyce when he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Masthead of \"The Longford Eye\" who first published this article based on the photo from Lalin Swaris","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Padriac-Colum.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3080,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/may-we-never-have-a-love-for-or-want-of-turnips\/","url_meta":{"origin":4000,"position":5},"title":"May We Never Have A Love For or Want of Turnips","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"6th November 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"May never for the humble turnips We have a need or love For neither is good for man For the former he will shove Away a fellow starving man In times of woe and hunger Like a bully in the family That dominates the younger. And for the latter, may\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Great Famine"","block_context":{"text":"Great Famine","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/great-famine\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Neeps_The_Humble_Turnip.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Neeps_The_Humble_Turnip.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Neeps_The_Humble_Turnip.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4000"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4009,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4000\/revisions\/4009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}