LIVING IN A HOLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12401, 24 October 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

LIVING IN A HOLE.

DISTRESSING PLIGHT OF AN IRISH FAMILY. The extraordinary case of a man named Martin Brahany, who with his wife and family has lived for years in a "dug out" on a mountain aide, near Riverstown, County Sligo, is arousing much interest and sympathy in Ireland. The circumstances reveal a state of affairs almost incredible as j existing in a civilised country. Brahany is an evicted tenant. Some six years ago he was ejected from his holding, and he at once tried to get work as a farm labourer, and was employed fairly constantly at a rate of wages varying from Is to Is 6d per day. On this sum he was unable to feed his family and pay rent for a house, and he was therefore compelled to follow the example of the ancient cave-dwellers. He burrowed a hole in the hillside to shelter himself and his family. The dimensions of this primitive dwelling arc: —Length, between twelve and fifteen feet; breadth, seven to nine feet; and height, about five and, a-half feet, In this hole Brahany, his wife and five children have lived for six years, and the effect of such a terrible experience could be seen in the haggard and miserable appearance of Brahany when giving evidence in support of his claim for a, labourer's cottage and in his palpably stunted intelligence. The cave dwelling is simply a hole hi the earth. No stones were used in the wall, there is no chimney, and the only aperture in the hole througfi which the family have to crawl when going in and out. There is no road leading to it, fields, bogs, and mountain-sides having to be traversed to reach the place. There are two girls and three boys in the family, the girls being about live years and seven years of age respectively, while the boys' ages range up to 15 years. The food of the family was naturally of the scantiest, and consisted principally of potatoes and meal. No hand was stretched forth to assist Brahany. He and his family have lived there unheeded and uncared for, like cave-dwel-lers in prehistoric times. Now that their plight is known a cottage is to be found for them.