Tag Archives: Strokestown

Updates: Bronze Shoes distributed from the Irish Marine Institute’s RV Celtic Explorer, St John’s NL, to Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara.National Famine Walk 2024 completed over six days, Strokestown to Dublin docks. Liverpool’s delegation carried their Bronze Shoes.Bronze Shoes arrive in New York to greet Bronze Shoes in Dublin across the live Portal.Canada, Ireland and Transatlantic Colonialism Conference at the University of St Michael’s, Toronto: Indigenous Famine relief recognised and Bronze Shoes formally received by Toronto and Hamilton. Bronze Shoes delivered to Niagara. Australia makes contact to join the GIobal Irish Famine Way.

The compassionate reception of the Famine Irish around the world has a universal message resonant today:

“Dedicated to all those who offer hope through compassion and success through opportunity to the stranger on your shore.”

“Tiomnaithe dóibh siúd a thugann dóchas trí thaise agus rath trí dheiseanna a sholáthar don choimhthíoch a thagann chun na tíre.”

Contents:

Purpose

Project Partners

Organisation

Outcomes

Launches: Canada, Ireland, UK

Future Sites

Global Irish Famine Way Conference 2027

Appendix I – Historical Background

Appendix II National Famine Way Stages, Walk 20-25 May

Purpose

1. Starting at the National Famine Museum, the National Famine Way is a 165km trail in Ireland that traces the footsteps of 1490 tenants from Strokestownpark, Roscommon, to Dublin in 1847 during the Great Irish Famine. It was their last journey on Irish soil. For those who survived the ordeal, it would be the first stage of their long journey to new lives as part of the Irish diaspora. Today, the National Famine Way is marked by over 30 Bronze Shoes, cast from a pair of children’s shoes found bound together in the roof of a 19^th century cottage.

• The Global Irish Famine Way extends the National Famine Way by following the journeys of all the Irish Famine emigrants around the world, including the UK, Canada, the United States, South Africa, and Australia. One million men, women and children died as a direct result of the Famine, out of a population of 8 million. Between 1.5 and 2 million left Ireland during and in the immediate aftermath of the Famine. Bronze Shoes will mark significant sites around the world, including where Famine emigrants landed, and common or mass graves where they died on their journeys. QR codes will tell the local story and connect to the National Famine Way website for more information.

• The Global Irish Famine Way:

• creates a physical and digital living history of the millions of Famine Irish emigrants as a significant event in the development of the Irish Diaspora and of the Famine in its own right an event of global significance;

• connects researchers, local historians, academics and community groups around the world;

• recovers stories and histories of the Famine emigrants as they made their epic global journey;

• promotes public history, public awareness, universal values, shared international heritage, local engagement, research, discourses on humanitarian relief, and heritage tourism;

• imparts a universal story more relevant than ever, a story of human agency in the face of catastrophe and of the compassion the immigrants encountered on their journeys to new futures.

• To receive a set of Bronze Shoes, local organisations form as Global Irish Famine Way local chapters, enter into a legal agreement with an authority for the long-term maintenance of the marker, erect a plinth and install a QR code.  

Project Partners

• The National Famine Museum, Strokestown Park (Irish Heritage Trust), the Embassy of Ireland, Ottawa, and County Councils (Roscommon, Longford, Kildare, Westmeath, Meath, Fingal, and Dublin), with academic experts, local community groups, and heritage agencies including Parks Canada and related stakeholders globally.

Organisation

• The Global Irish Famine Way thus far has been organised by a leadership group (Caroilin Callery, Eamonn McKee and Mark McGowan) and cooperative support from local activists. Funding has been provided by local organisations and the Bronze Shoes that arrived in Canada were funded by the Emigrant Support Programme of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The leadership group plans to establish in Ireland a Global Irish Famine Way Foundation. Global Irish Famine Way local chapters are being organised by those who come forward wishing to participate to make the necessary arrangements for installation of the Bronze Shoes. Through the Consulate General in Sydney, local representatives have made contact to join the GIFW.

Outcomes

• Anticipated outcomes include:

• The establishment of Global Irish Famine Way (GIFW) as a physical and digital heritage trail that tells for the first time the full story of Ireland’s Famine emigrants.
• The GIFW will be largest heritage trail in the world centred in Ireland and stretching to the Americas, South Africa and Australia.
• Recovery of the stories, histories, and influence of the Famine emigrants, including data bases to assist in genealogical research.
• Creation and renewal of relationships among Ireland’s global Diaspora and with Ireland.
• Promotion of the shared heritage of the Irish Diaspora.
• Acknowledgement of the recipient countries and communities, settler and Indigenous, for their compassionate response to the Irish humanitarian disaster, including those who gave their lives as a result;
• Recognition of the contribution and influence of the Famine emigrants and their descendants in the countries where they made new homes and news lives;
• Strengthening of Ireland’s network of political, business and community leaders, who trace their lineage to Famine emigrants or have an affinity with the Irish communities and culture.
• Promotion of public discourse on responses to humanitarian crises, their causes and solutions.
• Promotion of heritage and genealogical tourism, linking Famine sites in Ireland to related sites, communities and descendants globally.
• Promotion of the universal message still relevant today: to the strangers on your shore, offering hope through compassion and success through opportunity.

The Voyage of the Bronze Shoes: Launch of the Global Irish Famine Way, Canada:

1. In collaboration with the Marine Institute of Ireland, a cargo of fifteen Bronze Shoes were taken on board its research vessel, the RV Celtic Explorer on 1 May at Galway. The ship arrived at Pier 12, St John’s Newfoundland and Labrador on 8 May and was welcomed by Ambassador Eamonn McKee, National Famine Museum Director Caroilin Callery, and Professor Mark McGowan of St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.  On 9 May,Bronze Shoes were carried by the Ambassador accompanied by a delegation to The Rooms.  This walk featured in a CBC news report.  The Bronze Shoes were displayed there and a reception was hosted by the Embassy for the Irish community, the Marine Institute, academics, and VIPs including Federal Minister Seamus O’Regan and Provincial Minister John Abbot.  On the morning of 10 May, The Bronze Shoes were carried ceremoniously to St John’s Basilica where a service of commemoration and gratitude was held, with over 300 members of the public attending along with Ministers O’Regan and Abbot.

• Anne Walsh MC’ed the event, with opening remarks by Ambassador McKee, and a service conducted by the Most Rev. Peter Hundt, Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John’s, Rev. Pamela Jones-FitzGerald, Minister, Gower Street United Church, Most Rev. Archbishop Christopher Harper, National Anglican Indigenous Archbishop and Presiding Elder of Sacred Circle, and Bruce Templeton, Clerk of Session, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (The Kirk). Music was provided by Ed Kavanagh on the Irish harp, Uillean Piper David Walsh, Jacinta Mackey Graham conducting the Cathedral Basilica Choir, with Patty Fowler and John Fitzgerald on the organ.

• Following lunch at the Bishop Mullock Library, there was a symposium on historical perspectives on the Famine at the Basilica. The service, lunch and symposium were organised by the Basilica Heritage Foundation, led by John Fitzgerald and Ann Walsh. The foundation is organising the erection of a plinth and garden at the Basilica for the installation of the Bronze Shoes and QR code.

• Attendees at launch in St John’s took Bronze Shoes to Quebec, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto for installations at sites including Quebec City, Grosse Île, the Black Rock at Montreal, Macdonald Gardens Park Ottawa, Middle Island, and St John (New Brunswick), Niagara, and Hamilton.

• On 14 May, the Built Heritage Committee of Ottawa City Council held a public hearing on the proposal to place the Bronze Shoes at the common grave of 360 remains from 1847 in Macdonald Gardens Park. A spirited showing by the Irish community, with expert testimony and a large support group (including at least thirty from the Irish Seniors), resulted in approval.  The City Council voted to support the proposal on 15 May with a direction to have the memorial in place at the gravesite over the summer.

The Famine Walk: Launch of the Global Irish Famine Way, Ireland

• Following the National Famine Commemoration Day at Edgeworthstown, County Longford, on Sunday19 May and the Canadian Wake that evening at the National Famine Museum, the Famine Walk began on 20 May at the Museum with walkers in period costume re-enacting the start of the forced migration of the 1490 Strokestown tenants. Local schoolchildren read out the names of the family groups that departed in May 1847. A core group of walkers led by Ambassador McKee and Famine Museum Director Caroilin Callery followed the route of the tenants to Dublin over the following six days.

• This year, the annual Walk focused on promoting the launch of the Global Irish Famine Way. A delegation from Liverpool joined the group, carrying Bronze Shoes for the journey to Dublin and on to Liverpool. Canadian walkers were part of the core group and Ambassador of Canada to Ireland Nancy Smyth joined the group for two stages of the Walk. Each day, the group met with school groups who learned about the Famine, and carried the Bronze Shoes for a portion of the journey. A feature of these engagements was discussion of the Indigenous aid raised for Famine relief by the Wendat, Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee and upwards of 80 Canadians who lost through lives though infection assisting the Famine emigrants. Along the six-day route, local communities and leaders welcomed the group were with music, dancing, refreshments and insights into local history. In Mullingar, for example, the Walkers learned from local historian Ruth Illingworth that 100 young women were sent from the Workhouse to Quebec City in 1853.

• In Dublin, the costumed walkers boarded the period ship Jeannie Johnston in a poignant moment. Following a programme of speakers and reception of the EPIC Museum, Caroilin Callery presented the Bronze Shoes at the Portal. On the New York side of the Portal by Vice-Consul General Gareth Hargadon and Elizabeth Stack, Executive Director of the American Irish Historical Society carried a set of Bronze Shoes. The event was a symbolic handing over of Bronze Shoes and a promise of the extension of the GIFW to the US.

Liverpool Irish Festival: Launch of the Global Irish Famine Way, UK

• After arrival in Dublin and temporary display, the Bronze Shoes will be stored until transferred to Clarence Dock Liverpool in October where they feature at the Famine Memorial as part of the Liverpool Irish Festival between 17^th and 27^th of October.

Bronze Shoes:  Niagara, Toronto and Hamilton

1. Mark McGowan conveyed Bronze Shoes from St John’s to Patrick Treacy and Declan O’Sullivan in Niagara on 23 May. The Embassy co-hosted a conference with the University of St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto entitled Canada, Ireland and Transatlantic Colonialism 28-30 May. The Conference included a dedicated session on Indigenous aid to the Famine Irish (28 May) and on 29 May a ceremonial handing over of Bronze Shoes to Robert Kearns of Toronto and Anita Ormond, Michelle Kranjc, and Laura Smith of Hamilton.

Future Launches

1. Outreach is ongoing to establish Bronze Shoes sites in the UK, US (inter alia, Boston, New York including Manhattan and Staten Island, and Philadelphia), South Africa (Cape Town), and Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, and Hobart). Investigations are underway to identify Famine Irish in Argentina. Once completed, Global Irish Famine Way will represent a comprehensive profile of the Famine Irish around the world. The GIFW will be the longest heritage trail in the world.

Global Irish Famine Way Conference 2027

1. Plans are underway for a Global Irish Famine Way Conference in 2027 (180^th anniversary) hosted by the National Famine Museum with the participation of the GIFW Chapters from around the world.  

Eamonn McKee

Embassy of Ireland

Ottawa

3 June 2024