| Hometowns: 1880 Ireland |
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Longford Countryside 1880 Ireland: The Gills Longford County My ancestor, Michael Gill, came from a town named Drumlish in County Longford. The village of Drumlish is west of a ridge of low hills running north-eastwards from Newtownforbes to Arva in County Cavan. A famous episode of the Land War took place in Drumlish which is documented in the book The Land War in Drumlish by Fr. P. Conefrey. The village is the starting point for the climb of Cairn Hill. It is a pleasant climb and there are extensive views from its summit, which is crowned by a cairn. Economic Triggers Like much of Ireland, the major industry in Longford is farming.The situation after the Potato famine did not greatly improve the economics of farming except that the loss of population from death and emigration had eased the burden on the land. In the United States during this period, many industries went through sweeping changes. Coal replaced water power. Iron replaced wood. Wages in these growing industries were much higher in the US than in Europe as shown in the chart below($/day).
With these kinds of opportunites, many farming families were attracted to life overseas. Genealogy Research in Longford Longford Museum and Heritage Centre, 1 Church Street, Longford, Republic of Ireland. Phone: (353) 043 41235.
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