Coffin ships to Canada, 1847

It was the year 1847: the darkest year during the most infamous famine in recent Irish history. It was to become the greatest humanitarian disaster of the 19th-century. The Irish people were starving in numbers that are hard for us to fathom today. One million died and one million more, seeing little hope for a future in their native land, emigrated from their home country. Many of these people made plans to leave on what came to be known as "coffin ships". Traveling to North America in the cargo holds of ships, both ill and well faced a true trial.

The story of these famine immigrants and their journey to Canada is told in the new documentary/dramatic film produced by Summer of Sorrow Productions and Tile Films entitled Death or Canada and its companion book by Mark McGowan, Death or Canada: The Irish Famine Migration to Toronto, 1847. Told using the true story of the Willis family who migrated from the West of Ireland, this film and companion book tell the heart-rending story of the Irish people as they faced the dreadful year of "black '47", and the story of the Canadian people that received and gave aid to the Irish that came to North America.

The award-winning Death or Canada (the film) will air in Canada on March 16 and be released for distribution shortly after that. Death or Canada (the book) by Mark McGowan is available now for purchase.

Thanks to Earline Hines Bradt of Ancestral Notes for bringing "Death or Canada" to my attention.

Here's looking at Quin-zee: Postcards that bring history to life

I've long been a fan of Arcadia Publishing's local history books. Annotated collections of historical photographs compiled by local authors, these books are a treasure for readers wanting to gain an understanding of social history in the times and places of their ancestors' lives.

I was happy to recently discover a title in their Postcard History Series that brings my Tierney family's hometown to life: William and Elaine Pepe's Quincy (Postcard History: Massachusetts). View an introduction to the book including a sampling of its postcard images online in this short video presentation uploaded by Quincy's Patriot Ledger. The images in the book focus particularly on the early 20th-century - just the time period I am particularly interested in since my Tierney ancestors moved to Quincy from Boston's North End just before the turn of the century.

Son of Ireland makes it big in Boston, 1885

One-hundred and twenty-three years ago today my great-great-grandparents were living in Boston, Massachusetts raising their young family when the city's first Irish mayor was sworn in to his first of four terms in office. It must have been a happy time for this young immigrant couple and other Boston Irish.

Hugh O'Brien, the city's new mayor in 1885, was the first of many Irish politicians to lead the Boston area in the coming years. It was a turning point for Boston, which had already seen Roman Catholic Irish outnumber native Boston Protestants for several decades by 1885. Mayor O'Brien, according to Mass Moments, was "a well-spoken, mild mannered, successful businessman... [who] defied all the Yankee stereotypes of Irishmen. During four terms as Mayor, he widened streets, planned the Emerald Necklace park system, and built the new Boston Public Library in Copley Square, all the while cutting taxes. Popular among both native- and Irish-born Bostonians, Hugh O'Brien paved the way for the better known Irish mayors who would follow him— 'HoneyFitz' Fitzgerald and James Michael Curley."

For more on this turning point in Boston's history and the coming of the Irish into local politics, visit the Mass Moments website or read Thomas O'Connor's The Boston Irish: A Political History.

Image of Mayor Hugh O'Brien from Celebrate Boston website.

The night before Christmas in Ireland

I shared this last year on Christmas Eve, and just had to repost it again. A light that shines again wishes you a beautiful Christmas celebration. May you be blessed with visions of angels on the spikes of your holly bushes! Merry Christmas!

Breaking the fast, watching for angels standing on the spike of every holly leaf, and being sure to say your prayers - because every Irish child knows that all prayers said on Christmas Eve are answered...

These are some of the memories of childhood Christmases in Ireland shared by Brigit Haggerty in her essay An Irish Christmas—The Night Before. Perhaps my favorite part of her descriptive remembrances is this recollection and realization:

Drifting off to sleep, I can vaguely recall hushed voices in the other room, bits and pieces of Handel's Messiah, and a feeling of pure contentment. It would take me years and years to recognize and realize that these are the gifts that go on giving.

For another look at Christmas Eve in Ireland, this time a humorous one, see the book An Irish Night Before Christmas, written by Sarah Kirwan Blazek and illustrated by James Rice. Nevermind the yule log on the fire and glasses of eggnog, here you'll find the turf blazing in the fireplace and glasses of Irish stout. This charming children's picture book will bring a smile to the face of children of all ages at Christmas.

Here's wishing you a warm candle in your window and an Irish blessing this Christmas Eve:

The light of the Christmas star to you
The warmth of home and hearth to you
The cheer and good will of friends to you
The hope of a childlike heart to you
The joy of a thousand angels to you
The love of the Son and God's peace to you.

Nollaig Shona dhíbh!

Image courtesy Tipperary of Tara, Ltd.

My grandfather's memory: Alzheimer's in my family

Although I was younger when my grandfather passed away after suffering from Alzheimer's for several years, remembrances of his struggles and their impact on my family are fresh in my memory.

Alzheimer's disease and the trials it causes are always difficult for family and friends to accept, but probably more so when they affect someone as independent and intelligent as my grandfather.

Specific moments that stand out in my memory are:

• My grandfather getting into his car to drive home from the park... This was the last time I remember him driving, since shortly after this day the family realized that it was no longer safe to allow him to drive alone.
• My grandfather's walks around the neighborhood... He still found joy in a brisk walk as he always had, although with his memory beginning to fail, a family member probably had to go "find him" more than once.
• Confused sentences, questions that didn't make sense, the difficulty he had remembering my name... It was difficult for me to see my grandfather, a man of intelligence who had always encouraged me in my education, losing his grip on the world. Since I was not his caregiver, I had less exposure than others to the struggles that continued as his mind deteriorated, but many of the times that I did witness his confusion are etched in my memory clearly.
  
• The familiar smile that I remembered from my childhood... Even in the later stages of the disease, when he failed to regularly recognize loved ones, it was comforting to be greeted by my grandfather's classic, knowing smile.
  

In this Alzheimer's Awareness Month, I remember again the struggles that my family faced as our loved one continued to lose more and more of his memory and therefore his ability to function in the world.

At his passing, guests at my grandfather's funeral were asked that in lieu of flowers they make donations to the Alzheimer's Association, an organization which provides help to caregivers struggling to understand what is happening to their loved ones, and trying to determine how best to help them. If you know someone facing Alzheimer's Disease, contact the Alzheimer's Association to find helpful resources and a local support group near you.

You might also find help in the list of suggested reading materials in Brenda Parris' Bibliography of Alzheimer's and Caregiving and in poetry written by those caring for Alzheimer's patients. Younger readers may find help understanding why their loved ones are changing by reading some of the books suggested at Brenda Parris' Alzheimer's Bibliography for Children and Teenagers webpage.

This was written for the 60th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. Please visit Creative Gene for more articles and personal stories about Alzheimer's Disease and its impact.

Song of suffering

It's a book of historical fiction geared toward middle-school students, but it is one of the most moving descriptions of the Great Famine in Ireland that I have read.

Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff is the fictional story of a young girl who struggles through the worst period of suffering in Ireland during the 19th-century. Beginning in 1845, readers learn of the beauty of the west coast and the sad fate of the residents who remain on its shores during one of the most devasting times in the history of Ireland.

The author has based this story on years of research, including the study of her own personal family history. It is a tale of culture and family, of overlords and tragedies, of suffering and hope. Nory's sister, like many of the Irish, has left for America. Nory's story mirrors that of young girls of the time who heard tales of a new world "where no one was ever hungry". She lives from day to day struggling for survival and hoping for the grace to see that kind of place she dreams of someday.

Patricia Reilly Giff's book Maggie's Door is the sequel to Nory Ryan's Song.

Note: Several reviewers have given a suggested reading level of ages 9-12 for this book. Because of the vivid descriptions of the suffering of the people of Ireland throughout the story, I suggest that it be reserved for readers ages 12 and up.

"Out of the dusk of slow-accomplished Time..."

I am fascinated by beautiful poetry. When written well, poetry consists of "the best words in their best order" as Samuel Taylor Coleridge put it. When I find a poem that strikes a chord in me, I enjoy reading it again and again.

It is a special treat to find a poem that is not only appealing as a bit of poetry, but is able to call to mind strong images of places and people and/or a particular time in history.

Emily Lawless, a writer and poet born in 19th-century Ireland, was one such poet who was able to bring history alive with her poetry. Out of What Began: A History of Irish Poetry in English shares a few snippets of her writings including a poem entitled Afterward (which was originally published in The Inalienable Heritage in 1914). According to the book, in this little poem she expresses beautifully "the poet's role as bringing to life the voices of the past".

Afterward
by Emily Lawless

Out of the dusk of slow-accomplished Time,
Out of the shadows, out of the long past,
Lifting that past up on thy haughty rhyme,
Wakening those silenced voices, heard at last;
Fierce with the tumults of eight hundred years,
Loud with their cries of echoing strife and scorn;
Soft with their woes; child of their hopes and fears,
Poet we look for, come; awake! Be born!

Emily Lawless brings a strong image alive in her poem entitled Honor's Grave (also originally published in The Inalienable Heritage). This poem conjures up pictures for me of what the lives of my women ancestors might have been like. After reading her words, I can't help but feel the desire to go and visit their graves to pay my respects to them in the places where "very soundly doth they sleep".

Honor's Grave
by Emily Lawless

Tender soul of womanhood,
All her silent suffering past,
Pious, pitiful, and good,
Safe at last;
Sheltered from the rough wind's blast.
Veiling mists, which come and go,
With transparent fingers mark
Where she lies. Remote and low,
Hark! Oh hark!
What voice whispers through the dark?

Very soundly doth she sleep,
Though around the blown-sand flies,
Though above the storm-clouds sweep
The burdened skies.
She hears nothing where she lies.
Ancient cross, misused and grey,
Ancient cross, with broken arms,
Hold her, shield her night and day,
Safe from harms;
Shield her by thy sovereign charms.
Tiny snail-shells, pencilled, pale,
In the sands about her lie;
Tiny grass-tufts, thin and frail,
Cluster slenderly,
Gather round her tenderly.

Ave Maria! mother mild,
Mary, unto whom she prayed,
Shield thy loving-hearted child,
Gentle maid!
Shield the spot where she is laid.

Lastly, one more poem to share with you on this, Poem in Your Pocket Day 2008.

Forever
by John Boyle O'Reilly

Those we love truly never die,
Though year by year the sad memorial wreath,
A ring of flowers, types of life and death,
Are laid upon their graves.

For death the pure life saves,
And life all pure is love; and love can reach
From heaven to earth, and nobler lessons teach
Than those by mortals read.

Well blest is he who has a dear one dead:
A friend he has whose face will never change -
A dear communion that will not grow strange;
The anchor of a love is death.

The blessed sweetness of a loving breath
Will reach our cheek all fresh through weary years.
For her who died long since, ah! waste not tears,
She's thine unto the end.

Thank God for one dear friend,
With face still radiant with the light of truth,
Whose love comes laden with the scent of youth,
Through twenty years of death.

Passing the torch: sharing Irish history with young people

In my post entitled Ready for battle: history for kids over at Small-leaved Shamrock I explained my desire to bring history and genealogy alive to young people. As I stated there, it is important to me to share what I've learned about my family's history and its place in the overall context of world history with my children, my nieces, nephews, second cousins, etc. I find joy in the knowledge that the next generation has an understanding of the sacrifices of those that lived before them and takes pride in their heritage.

I was well into adulthood before I had even basic knowledge about the Great Irish Famine, not to mention Irish history in general. With the intention of preventing that sort of "lapse of memory" within future generations, I would like to continue to share with children what I've learned about my own family history and the history of the Irish. On the sidebar of A light that shines again and my other blogs Small-leaved Shamrock and 100 Years in America, you can find Related Reading lists that include not only books for adults, but also books geared to children of various ages.

I enjoyed learning about one young lady who has taken an interest in her own Irish heritage to heart - so much so that at the age of 17 she has published a book of fiction based on her interest in Irish family history and culture.

Amanda Burris' novel, entitled "Remember The Dance: The Story of Nora Shanahan", was the result of an interest in her family's heritage and her research into all things Irish, including the Gaelic language and Irish dance. A homeschool student in her final year of high school, Amanda spent several years writing the book. According to the Remember the Dance website, the book gives readers a chance to:

Come explore the rich history that has long been forgotten by many and discover the difficult, yet exciting life of Nora Shanahan, a spirited, young Irish girl whose love of dancing brings her through times of starvation and oppression. But when the time comes to leave the land she loves so much, will the remembrance of the dance keep her spirits alive, even in a frightening, unwelcoming new land of America?

You can read more about Amanda's book in the following online articles: Teen Writer Brings History to Life and Kannapolis teenager publishes novel based on Irish ancestry.

Thanks to Dear Myrtle for sharing the story of Amanda Burris' book.

"A good story never has to end..."

With St. Patrick's Day approaching I've been reading up on good Irish stories and wanted to share one in particular with you. If you are a reader of Small-leaved Shamrock, you may know that I particularly enjoy sharing family history and Irish culture with children. St. Patrick's Day is a special time to do so, since the color green is popping up all over the place.

While looking for good reading this season I was reminded of a book that I had enjoyed not too long ago. The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan is a heart-warming story of one Irish immigrant family's way of honoring their roots. At the time of the great famine, a young boy on his journey from Ireland whittles a shillelagh. After his arrival in America, each St. Patrick's Day he takes out the stick and reminds himself of the journey, later sharing the story with his son. Through the passing down of the shillelagh and the simple telling of the story from father to son and daughter (in successive generations), the family's heritage is kept alive from year to year, generation to generation.

I can't help but wonder after reading this book just what my own immigrant ancestor's journey to America was like, and what successive generations knew about his arrival and his early life in the United States. I know one thing for sure: if I had an original memento from his trip (such as the shillelagh in the book), I would give it museum-quality care. What an heirloom that would be!

As I continue to write about my own family's history, I'll take to heart the words spoken by the grandfather in The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh:

"A good story never has to end as long as someone remembers to keep telling it."

Good Samaritans across the Atlantic: February 1847

It was one-hundred and sixty-one years ago that America rallied to send aid to a suffering Ireland. Word had come across the Atlantic of the devastating famine that had hit Ireland, and Americans responded with kindness and generosity.

According to Mass Moments and its sources (Thomas O'Connor's books The Boston Irish: A Political History and Fitzpatrick's Boston, 1846-1866: John Bernard Fitzpatrick, 3rd Bishop of Boston) the city of Boston was among the first to respond to the crisis. The Irish Catholic community eventually sent $150,000 to its brothers and sisters in Ireland. On February 7, 1847, the city's new Bishop John Bernard Fitzpatrick had made the needy Irish the focus of his first pastoral letter, stating:

"A voice comes to us from across the ocean, the loud cry of her anguish has gone through the world. . . . Apathy and indifference, on an occasion like this, are inseparable from crime!"

On February 18, 1847 leading citizens of Boston (both Catholic and Protestant) met in Fanueil Hall to sort out plans for aid to the Irish. The committee eventually sent 800 tons of food and clothing to Ireland by way of the United States Navy's U.S.S. Jamestown.

Little did those that aided the Irish in the year 1847 know of the severity of the famine or its eventual length over a period of years. They could not have known the almost complete devastation of the Irish people that would be the result of the potato blight. And they could not have foreseen the role that their own city would play in the coming years as the newfound home for many of the suffering Irish that they had sought to aid.