Many people around the world today have Irish nationality or ancestry. Though numbers aren’t very clear, it is estimated that the population of Irish descent around the world might be more than 10 times larger than Ireland’s current population. What caused such a massive emigration? On my latest trip to Dublin, I wanted to learn more about the Irish emigration story. So, I adjusted my Dublin itinerary and visited these three sites below to learn more about it.
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The Jeanie Johnston – Irish Emigration Story
The tall ship in Dublin Quays has an interesting history. It is a replica of the only “famine ship” that didn’t lose a soul on her crossings to North America. So, if you’re looking to understand more about the massive Irish emigration story, Jeanie Johnston is a good place to start.
A Little Context
During the Great Famine in Ireland, people were losing everything. They had nothing left to feed their families and their only perspective was to die of starvation. Not because the potato was the only thing growing in Ireland, but because it was the only crop farmers kept for their families, while the rest went to the British.
As opposed to that, North America needed workers for the rail network and the construction of the new roads. Ships would take Irish men and women across the Atlantic looking for a new life and a way to help the family back home.
Sadly, most of these ships transported passengers in inhumane conditions. Their owners didn’t care if they lost people on the way. They were completely packed with desperate people and no viable safety measures. Does it sound familiar? Not long ago, thousands of immigrants from Northern Africa and the Middle East faced the same dangers, crossing the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Things didn’t change much these last couple of centuries, did they?
But, there’s a good side to this story too. The owner of the Jeanie Johnston cared about the people on the ship. He hired a good captain and what’s more, a doctor. The crew stacked food and drinking water on the ship before sailing, but also medicine that was available at that time. Before getting on board, the physician would check every passenger for symptoms of fever or flu. On a six-weeks passage, any disease spreading on board was bound to make victims. So, the doctor prevented that by not allowing sick people on the boat.
Sounds familiar again? I told you, not much has changed after all.
Jeanie’s Happy End Story
During the transatlantic journey, other ships kept their passengers under the decks. They had no sunlight and little fresh air for weeks. Jeanie’s doctor had a different view. He would insist on everyone going out every day for a half hour. The passengers would also empty buckets and clean the spaces they slept in every day. In a time when disease was common and killed so many on these ships that they were called floating coffins, the Jeanie didn’t lose any soul during her 16 transatlantic voyages.
She delivered 2500 immigrants safely to North America during the Famine. From time to time, someone manages to trace their ancestors back to these voyages. Sometimes, they come to visit the ship or send memorabilia to the museum.
You can only visit the Jeanie Johnston on a 50-minutes guided tour. Check their website for times and tickets. The guides are great storytellers, and they will introduce you to what a transatlantic passage meant at the time.
EPIC Museum in Dublin
Just across the street from the Jeanie Johnston, EPIC is the museum you need to visit if you are interested in the Irish emigration story. EPIC is an easy, modern museum with many interactive features. It’s nothing like an array of difficult to digest information.
The EPIC Journey into the Irish Emigration Story
With your EPIC entry ticket, you also get a passport to stamp in each of the 20 museum galleries. Each gallery tells a story or focuses on an aspect of the Irish life and soul. Through them all, you learn about the greater story of Irish migration.
The displays are interactive, you choose a subject and a movie tells you the full story.
Causes of Irish Emigration
When you hear about the Irish Emigration, you immediately connect it with the great famine in the 1840s. The Potato Famine lasted 7 years and it was the peak of the Irish emigration phenomena, but that lasted for hundreds of years and had multiple causes. British ruling, religion, and oppression, all contributed to the Irish emigration. The famine was a final push that convinced many to leave. As they settled abroad, they used what they earned to bring their family out of Ireland too, so the migration intensified after the potato famine ended. Many died during the famine too, the numbers are staggering.
What’s most impressive is the way people from this island influenced the world. They brought their heritage along everywhere they went. What’s more, they become leaders in their respective domains. Even US presidents have Irish ancestry, half of them to be exact.
Well, the tour will guide you through everything from reasons for leaving, to what the Irish brought with them in terms of sports, music, food, or culture. At the end of your visit, you’ll become more acquainted with Ireland than you could anywhere else in Dublin.
Don’t miss the 5 minutes film at the end of the EPIC tour, it puts things in a little perspective.
Useful info about EPIC
EPIC Museum is hosted in Dublin’s Custom House Quay (CHQ building). It’s a very convenient stop on your Dublin itinerary, whether you visit the EPIC museum or not. It has an info point with free attractions flyers and maps, clean toilets, and a food court. At lunchtime, it gets pretty busy with people working in the area, but the rest of the day it’s relatively quiet. You can stop here to have a coffee, get out of the rain, rest, have lunch, or even work for a while.
You can book your EPIC ticket in advance, and you’ll be stamping your EPIC passport in the galleries in no time. The ticket includes an audioguide app and, when I visited, a second free visit within 30 days.
Another interesting service at EPIC is the Irish Family History Center where you can book an appointment with a genealogist. They can help you trace back your family and discover your Irish roots.
If you plan to visit a few more Dublin attractions, take a look at the Dublin Pass. It includes access to both EPIC Museum and the Jeannie Johnston Tallship but also to the Guinness Storehouse, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and even to Malahide Castle and Gardens. Check the places you plan to visit and do the math, you might save enough for a few beers with the pass.
The Famine Memorial in Dublin – Irish Emigration Story
The Famine Memorial is a group of statues representing starving Irish people during the Great Famine making their way to a ship. Close to the CHQ on Dublin Docklands, you will come across this very moving memorial. A few people are in rags, carrying the little they have left, with strong facial expressions.
The site wasn’t randomly chosen, it’s close to the place where the ship Perseverance anchored to take Irish people to the US. It was one of the first ships to take these desperate people out of Dublin, and she didn’t lose any of the 210 passengers on that trip.
Take a moment here, and look closely at the bronze statues. It’s one of the most powerful pieces of artwork I ever saw. Imagine their struggle, their despair, and hope.
How to get there
All three attractions above are within a couple hundred meters radius, on the north side of the Liffey River. To get there, simply follow the river east, it’s a less than 10-minute walk from O’Connell Bridge.
Alternatively, you can take the Red Line Luas (local tram) to George’s Dock stop, just in front of CHQ Building.
Have you seen any of these places? Tell me all about it in the comments below!
Disclosure
Some of the above may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. However, I only recommend companies, activities, or products that I use myself. Thank you for your support in keeping my blog live!
Ireland is beautiful. People have started emigrating there.
That’s true! Things have changed this last decade or so, and people want to live and work in Ireland nowadays.
Very interesting history! Amazing how many people may have Irish ancestry based on the numbers that did emigrate.
I know, I was impressed to hear all that. Thanks for stopping by, Linda!