- Poor living conditions
- Overcrowded with both people and livestock
- Typically 1– 2 room thatched cabins (sod used in some areas such as Kerry)
- Walls made from loose stones & mud- plastered
- Windows were small- to prevent heat from escaping
Diet
- Potatoes; formed the basis of their diets
- Some vegetables e.g. cabbage in Connaught as there is more fertile soil
- Other foods: buttermilk, stirabout and salt