Tipperary and Ukraine's shared links through famine are explored by historical society

Borrisoleigh Historical Society’s final lecture of the season took placebefore a large turnout in the local Community Centre.

Local resident and historian John Connors delivered a lecture on the Famine times in Borrisoleigh and the surrounding district.

The talk also dealt with the story of a mass eviction that took place in the area of Cullohill at the end of July in 1850. That incident saw, in one single day, 470 people evicted from their homes and turned out on to the roadside.

With information sourced from national and newspaper archives, the talk illustrated how Borrisoleigh and its locality did not stand immune from that disastrous and shameful episode of Irish history that saw the population of the area reduced by 35%.

Starvation, disease, emigration, migration and the dreaded workhouse all played their part in that decimation.

Valiant efforts were made by a local relief committee under the joint chairmanship of Rev Morris and C of I rector Alexander Hoops, who did all in their power to alleviate the distress.

Local absentee landlord Lord Portarlington arrived in the village at the committee’s invitation but after being wined and dined by his agents and sub-landlords, he returned to his English abode without having made any meaningful contribution to the distressed and starving on his Tipperary estate.

Like others of his class, Portarlington was not alone in this respect.

In concluding the lecture, John Connors emphasised the human input into the Irish and subsequent famines worldwide.
What is not caused by human design can certainly be alleviated if the necessary human will is there to do so.

Some famines have been deliberately manufactured with the expressed intention of annihilating an entire nation.

One stark example of this was the Holodomor (death by starvation), inflicted by Russia on Ukraine in 1932/33.

This evil attempt to wipe an entire nation from the face of the earth, resulted in, at the most conservative of estimates, the death of eight million Ukrainians.

The real figure is, of course, considerably higher.

At this point, Sofiia Mandrusiak from the city of Kolomyiia in western Ukraine addressed the audience.

She spoke of the effect that the full-scale Russian invasion had on her country and on herself personally.

Drawing attention to the parallels between the histories of Ukraine and Ireland, she spoke of her country’s gratitude towards Ireland in their dark hour of need.

In saying that “Ukraine are not only defending their territory but the borders of Europe also”, her words reminded us, if such were necessary, that the freedoms that we enjoy in the West, should not be taken for granted.

With regard to Europe’s role and the general attitude of its citizens towards the Russian invasion of her homeland, Ms Mandrusiak reminded us of our duty as inhabitants of the free world: “To be indifferent is a crime.”

The evening was ably coordinated and chaired by Timmy Delaney.

Local ladies, Teresa Ryan and Martina Carr were on hand to read excerpts of reports from the old newspapers pertaining to those dark days of our history.

On behalf of our society, John Flannery presented Ms Mandrusiak with a framed citation to mark her visit to Borrisoleigh and her address to us.

To conclude the evening, Liam Donnelly of Rathmoy Residents’ Association presented our guest with a bunch of flowers as a gesture of gratitude for her presence in our community both now and in the summer of last year.