'Some people overdid it and it was in all the papers that a few people died from eating too many.'

'Some people overdid it and it was in all the papers that a few people died from eating too many.'

Norma recounts the food rationing during the war.

Norma McCullough

Trinity College Dublin

1942

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Norma McCullough

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Belfast

1940s

During the war everything was rationed,we were issued with ration books; cream for groceries,red for clothes and another one for sweets. I was a great treat being given a silver sixpence (2 p) for 2 ozs of sweets,which was all we could buy with one coupon. I looked forward to a gift box arriving from time to time from my father containing his ration of fruit,sweets and chocolate. We had apples and oranges,but no bananas. We had to wait until the war was over before we could taste them. Some people overdid it and it was in all the papers that a few people died from eating too many. They were apparently too rich for our systems.

Irish Research Council for Arts,Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)