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Stepping Aboard a Famine Ship

The Dunbrody.   Whenever we travel, especially if we are within striking distance of an ancestral locale, the Hubs and I like to visit historical sites to get a better understanding of where and how our ancestors lived.  It was no different on our recent trip to Ireland. Besides visiting many ancient sites, we also took in several folk parks featuring recreations of past ways of life, a deserted Famine-era village Slievemore on Achill Island, the Dunfanaghy Workhouse , and the Irish Wake Museum (awesome!).  I was particularly interested in sites which told the story of the Great Famine, as I have documented members of my Kilbride kin leaving Ireland between 1846 and 1850, in the midst of what was known as An Gorta Mór—The Great Hunger. 1 Ireland's west was particularly hard hit during this time, and given that some of my Kelly and Ryan records state their County Mayo origins, I know that these families likely suffered greatly before making that heartbreaking ...
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An Irish Perspective on Scranton


You may have heard that President Joe Biden traveled to his ancestral homeland in County Mayo, Ireland back in April. President Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, also the birthplace of several of our Gilbride and McAndrew family lines, who likely also trace their roots back to County Mayo. At least one ancestor, my great-great grandmother Ann Kelly McAndrew, reportedly was born in County Mayo, though her exact birthplace is yet to be discovered.1

While in Ireland, President Biden visited the North Mayo Heritage Centre, dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of the region. The Centre's April 16, 2023 publication—Mayo Heritage Newsletter—profiled Scranton and its links to Mayo, in honor of President's visit.2 

I asked Centre staff for permission to include this article here, as it is interesting to see Scranton through Irish eyes. Many thanks to the North Mayo Heritage Centre staff for allowing me to reprint their newsletter article. 

If you prefer to read the article in PDF form, click here and download "Newsletter 16/04/23." Find an archive of past newsletters at the same webpage.

Until next time...

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NOTES

All links accessed 16 May 2023.

1 State of Ohio, Department of Health, Certificate of Death 68240, Ann McAndrew, 16 December 1925; database and images, "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PKD-RJM : 16 May 2023); citing County Courthouse, Cleveland.

2 "Scranton," Mayo Heritage Newsletter, Vol. IV, #16, 16 April 2023; digital image, North Mayo Heritage Centre (https://www.northmayogenealogy.com/latest). Images used with permission.

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