Soupers and Jumpers

The establishment of Protestant missions in Connemara during the Famine saved the lives of thousands. The poverty-stricken and starving flocked to their schools and religious services to obtain food, although the Irish Church Missions interpreted these vast attendances as proof of devout conversions. Within a few years, bible schools and Protestant churches staffed by hundreds of mission agents sprang up throughout Connemara. The Catholic clergy responded with an aggressive campaign against the