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New Irish Famine documents shed light on incredible nuns and priests in Canada

Many “Grey Nuns”, French Canadian Sisters of Charity, gave their lives saving Famine victims

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, March 23, 2012, 7:41 AM

Updated Friday, March 23, 2012, 8:34 AM

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A screen shot of Irish immigrants arriving on Canadian shores during the famine, from the drama Death or Canada

Photo by Still from deathorcanada.com

Conditions were so bad that even 'TheTimes,' London, was forced to admit: 'the Black-Hole of Calcutta was mercy compared to the holds of these vessels.'

The Irish Times reports that the annals are said to contain extensive and highly evocative eyewitness accounts of the suffering of Famine migrants.

“The archives tell the tale of the harrowing experiences of priests and nuns who went to their aid and sought to provide homes for stricken widows and orphans,” says the report.

“The main story in the archive is that of the Grey Nuns, which was published in French in 1898 and has been translated into English for the virtual archive.”

Minister Deenihan has praised the University for making the historic document available to the public.

He has also welcomed the confirmation that Irish President Michael D Higgins is to lead an official delegation the overseas Famine commemoration in Boston on May 5th.

“I am delighted that President Higgins is leading the official representation at the Famine commemoration in Boston this year,” said Minister Deenihan.

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brenvancouver | Jan 22, 2013, 10:52 AM EST

In 2009, Irish Canadian historian Marianna O'Gallagher donated a stone from the AOH Crosse at Grosse Ile Quebec to The Ireland Canada Monument Society. The stone will be part of the proposed Ireland Canada Monument to be built in Vancouver. Those that perished in 1945-48 in Ireland, on the North Atlantic and in places like Grosse Ile must not be forgotten. http://irelandmonumentvancouver.com/the-irish-in-canada/1845-51

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nedwardatlarge | Apr 02, 2012, 04:34 PM EDT

To Maxxparis. ARE YOU SERIOUS?? A new potato and cold weather indeed who has fed you this crap? . Please read The Great Hunger 1845 to 1849 by Cecil Woodham-Smith but only after you read Marcella and Bunkerhill on this blog. One Million Irish people died in this scourge.

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IrelandNorth | Mar 26, 2012, 07:54 AM EDT

Did a Process Oriented Psychology workshop here in Dublin in the late 1990's called Death: The Crazy Wisdom Teacher." During that workshop. I recall one of the American facilitators sayiing that he was convinced that the Irish have not worked through the grief of the famine.

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canadianirish | Mar 25, 2012, 08:29 PM EDT

In light of this article, it would seem more appropriate for President Michael D. Higgins to visit Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

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DanOLoingsigh | Mar 25, 2012, 07:16 PM EDT

WTF is 'comfisicated land'?

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mariedriscoll | Mar 25, 2012, 10:48 AM EDT

My Grand Father, James Fitzpatrick worked as a Shepard( according to the Census of 1901) on the land that was comfisicated from his Fore Fathers,I agree with Mr. Counihan.

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BishopSean | Mar 24, 2012, 11:43 AM EDT

Well done, Mr. Counihan.

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bunkerhill | Mar 24, 2012, 10:01 AM EDT

What a horrible tragedy. However I agree with Marcella and don't understand why the fact that all the Irish land had been confiscated and given to English landlords is never mentioned. It was documented on TV recently in "Who Are You," that there was plenty of food in Ireland that was being transported to England. This genocide had nothing to do with potatoes. Incidentally Smithsonian Magazine last year wrote that the people of Cornwall, England are still tenant farmers with Prince Charles owning everything. That is easily documented.

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merefalow | Mar 23, 2012, 05:02 PM EDT

incredible unselfish unsung real hero,s and heroines, often of a religious persuasion,proving the better side of human nature,should be a film about these terrible and tragic times.

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Marcella | Mar 23, 2012, 04:24 PM EDT

It is good to suss out the details of the famine as too often it is left that the potato crops failed so people starved....yes and a resounding no. The English oppressors took this opportunity to hit the people of Ireland while they were down by continuing to export food items from Ireland to England, rampimg up evictions (violently many times) for those who lost all ability to pay rents and or offered poor houses and soup kitchens often at the price of turning their backs on all they knew. In other words convert from their faith in order to survive - but as we honour those who perish lets carry on a legacy of making a better day today and for the future.

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Peterman | Mar 23, 2012, 02:56 PM EDT

My GG grand father came over to Montreal from Mayo in 1842 with three infant children. He made it against hard odds, many poor souls that came just a few years later did not, they died at sea or were dumped on shore to crawl to a hospital or die like a dog from typhoid fever in a hastily built coffin shack.

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maxxparis | Mar 23, 2012, 01:54 PM EDT

One reason about Ireland's great famine was imported new potato species that could not stand the cold climate?

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donal1951 | Mar 23, 2012, 11:44 AM EDT

The "Grey Nuns" also followed French Canadians from Quebec and Acadia to Lewiston, Maine, where their countrymen had relocated to work in the textile mills. They opened a fine hospital because, at that time, working men and women, especially Catholics, and especially Francophones, were getting a raw deal. St. Mary's Hospital stands today at a monument to those good sisters and as a fine hospitals that even non-Catholics go to because of the quality of nursing care.

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davekemp | Mar 23, 2012, 11:24 AM EDT

My Aylward, Doherty, and Knox ancestors made it through Canada to McHenry Co. Illinois. No wonder they possessed a long last animosity toward the English, and a very sad remembrance of their arrival in Canada.

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Skibberrean | Mar 23, 2012, 10:52 AM EDT

My Great, Great Grandmother's family fled to Scotland at this time, because her father knew what the Brit's would do. When they were able they came to America and went through Ellis Island legally!!!

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