The Deserted Village

Aughris Village is understood to have been established here in the early part of the 19^th century. It had its humble beginnings as a clochán – the name given to a cluster of single storey dwellings occupied by farmers and fishermen. Farms would consist of a few acres with some comprising just one or two acres.

From  1841 to 1851 the population decreased from 269 to 207 due to the Famine and emigration. By 1861 the population had increased to 812 but had decreased again to 400 by 1871 due to mass emigration.

In 1901 the residents included 3 blacksmiths, 2 dressmakers, 2 publicans, 3 teachers, 2 tailors, 2 shopkeepers, a carpenter, a bootmaker,  a washerwoman and a plasterer.

The remains of some of the houses are still visible. Aughris townland was part of the Cooper estate of Markree until the early 20^th century when ownership was given over to the tenants.

The demise of the fishing industry devastated the local economy and as a result mass emigration ensued.  Shipping records show that as many as 16 young people departed from the village for America on a single day. One person would remain to care for  parents and so began the demise of the village. By the end of the 19th century, just 108 people were recorded as living here. The last resident of the village was Sissy Martin, originally from the US, who died in 1993.
After a visit to Aughris in 1973 a reporter for the Evening Press published an article  titled ‘The Town That Died.’Today however, one of the houses has been restored and the hope is that life will continue to return to this area in the future.