An informative piece in today's Irish Times tells of a study carried out on the remains of nearly 1,000 famine victims at a Kilkenny workhouse.
Seems there was a little more dignity shown to the dead than you might have expected. Darn sight more than was shown while they were alive, anyway.
There's no point my summarising it here. Type this link into your browser: www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2011/1020/1224306123786.html