A variety of potato engineered to be resistant to the pathogen that caused the Great Irish Potato Famine has been approved for deregulation by the USDA. The J.R. Simplot Company’s so-called Innate potato is more resistant to bruising and black spots than most varieties. When cooked at high temperatures, this potato also produces less acrylamide, a chemical compound that some … [Read more...] about A "Blight-Free" Potato?
Famine
Forgotten Famine-era Graves
Discovered in Massachusetts
An estimated 600-900 neglected and forgotten Famine-era graves were discovered in Massachusetts in September when Rhode Islander Annie McMullen was attempting to trace her husband’s Irish ancestry in New England.
McMullen’s journey to discovery began several years ago when she became interested in learning more about her in-laws’ journey from Ireland to the U.S. She soon … [Read more...] about Forgotten Famine-era Graves
Discovered in Massachusetts
Galway’s Irish Famine Archives
An exciting new archive for a little known area of Irish Famine research was recently unveiled at NUI Galway. The Digital Irish Famine Archive shines a much-needed light on the eyewitness accounts of Irish famine emigrants to Canada between 1847-48 and the role of the many extraordinary people who helped them. Included in the archive are first hand accounts of the Sisters of … [Read more...] about Galway’s Irish Famine Archives
Ireland-New Orleans Symposium
Heather Humphreys, Ireland’s Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee, together with other Irish dignitaries visited New Orleans in November to take part in a program of activities that drew attention to the enduring impact of Irish immigration on the Crescent City. The influence of Irish immigrants on New Orleans’ … [Read more...] about Ireland-New Orleans Symposium
An Irish-Choctaw
Thanksgiving in Queens
The Choctaw Native American tribe and Irish people have a complex and nuanced relationship that has stretched across the centuries. Their histories of displacement and recovery inform and strengthen one another by providing a system of cooperation, generosity, and faith in the resilience of the human spirit. It was this connection that spurred the Queens Museum and Theatre to … [Read more...] about An Irish-Choctaw
Thanksgiving in Queens