Hermann Von Puckler Muskau “I visited a house and found it built of unhewn stones from the fields with the crevices stuffed with moss, and a roof made of staves covered half by straw and half by sods. The floor consisted of bare earth, and there was no ceiling under the above-mentioned semi-transparent roof. Chimneys also seem to be thought of as a useless luxury. The smoke went from the freestanding hearth apertures out through the window unhindered by any glass panes. A partition on the right divided the sleeping quarters of the family, all of whom slept together, and another one on the left for the pig and the cow. Thus the cabin stood in the middle of a field without a garden or comfort of any kind – and this is what they called an ‘excellent house’.” Taken from The Truth Behind The Irish Famine, 100 images, 472 eye witness quotes: http://www.jerrymulvihill.com