The Search

Programme Outline

Episode 4: The Search (corresponds to pages 78 - 150 of the book)
The children are driven by hunger to seek food in the soup kitchen. Later they come upon the body of a dead man and although horrified they respect the dead and say a prayer for him. They travel on, at times hungry, despondent and exhausted. Peggy is attacked by dogs and becomes feverish. Michael goes to the workhouse to get food, but to no avail. He bleeds a cow and cooks the blood. Peggy recovers and eventually they reach Castletaggart and meet the great-aunts, who, though poor themselves, accept them as part of the family. Eily has mixed emotions as she thinks back to the thatched cottage and happier times.