Doolough Tragedy

The Doolough Tragedy was an event that took place during the Great Irish Famine close to Doo Lough in southwest County Mayo.

[1] At least seven (and perhaps 20 or significantly more) starving people died after being required to walk a long distance to an inspection by poor law union officials, who would determine whether they would continue to receive outdoor relief.

[2][3][4] On Friday 30 March 1849, two officials of the Westport Poor Law Union arrived in Louisburgh to inspect those people in receipt of outdoor relief to verify that they should continue to receive it.

[5][3] For much of the night and day that followed seemingly hundreds of destitute and starving people had to undertake what for them, given their existing state of debilitation, was an extremely fatiguing journey, in very bad weather.

[8] The monument in Doolough valley has an inscription from Mahatma Gandhi: "How can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings?