Irish America

1847 Famine

Phoenix Remembers the Great Hunger

By Irish America Staff
October / November 2019

by Leave a Comment

The 2019 International Commemoration of the Great Irish Famine will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, November 3. Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee, Josepha Madigan T.D., made the announcement in July.  “This year’s commemoration represents an opportunity to not only recognize the work … [Read more...] about Phoenix Remembers the Great Hunger

In the Shoes of Refugees

By Christine Kinealy, Contributor
August / September 2019

by 1 Comment

Walking in the footsteps of 1,490 Irish exiled in 1847. ℘℘℘ In 2017, and again in 2019, I was honored to be part of a small group of five historians who were invited by Caroilin Callery of the Irish Heritage Trust to follow in the footsteps of 1,490 refugees from the Great Hunger. As a historian, I have researched and written extensively about the Famine since completing my … [Read more...] about In the Shoes of Refugees

The Un-Quiet Ghosts of the Carricks

By Maggie Holland, Assistant Editor
August / September 2019

by 1 Comment

Bones of Irish children were found 170 years after they died on a “coffin ship” en route to Canada in 1847. Vertebra and jaw bones were identified among the remains, believed to be of Irish children fleeing the Great Hunger, that were discovered in 2011 on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, about 500 miles from Montreal, in Canada. Canadian scientists have concluded that the bones that … [Read more...] about The Un-Quiet Ghosts of the Carricks

Native Americans and the Irish

By Mary Gallagher, Assistant Editor
September / October 2018

by 4 Comments

The Irish Consulate in New York City hosted a discussion of Irish-Native American relations in June. Titled, “Native Americans and the Irish: Historic and Continuing Connections,” it touched on interactions between the two groups over the past centuries that have been both friendly and confrontational. The conversation covered the Choctaw nation’s gift of $170 towards Irish … [Read more...] about Native Americans and the Irish