1880 The Misery in Distressed Durrus, Yellow Meal Arriving by Schooner to O’Donovans Cove, off loaded by men on their bare back through the surf. Hungry Children at Gouladoo Natinal School. Only a Third Able to Give an Offering at the Stations. When a Death Occurs the Corpse is Lashed onto Poles and Carried down Steep Slopes. Cattle overnighting in Houses.

Rev James Bowen P.P. 5 July 1877-1885, there is a tablet in his memory in the church.  An article in the Cor Examiner in April 1880 refers to him taking the reporter around the parish which was in widespread distress at the time. In 1880 lived at the former Evanson house at Ardogeena, Coolculaghta now occupied by Peter Gallagher.  1884 living at Blair’s cove.  A branch of the Land League was set up in Durrus in January 1881 with Father Bowen in the chair.  Also lived at Rawling’s house (Slated) Rossmore, Rawlings went bankrupt and later had a pub in Bantry and was a carman. Probate to brother William, farmer, Ballywilliam, Doneraile, £400.

A few comments. The presence of the schooner would suggest that the pier at Sea Lodge about 3km towards Durrus and the stores were build after this time probably by the Bandon Estate.

Intermittent distress and crop failures occured into the mid 1890s.

Thee is a referne to a woman spinning, there was a lot of spinning and weaving in the area from the mid 18th century.

The traditional West Cork farm house 2 storesy three windows upstairs on of each side of the door only come in from the late 1880s. Even prospereous farmers lived in thatched houses, the Ordnance Survey field books in the 1830 note the almost complete absence of slated roofs.

Surviving accounts of visitors into the early 1900s note even in prosperous farms livestock and poulty being in houses.

Mr. Regan has come back from America. It was common enough for people to spend a few years away and come back. Some of the Swantons from Ballydehob wee going back an forwad to New York in the 1790s. Young wmen often spent years working in Boston or New York and returned with enough to pick a spouse and he was then enabled to buy a fam or busisness.