Treasures of pre-Famine ‘New Dublin’ shanty town to be revealed

Over 1,300 artifacts found in dig of 19th century Irish site in Massachusetts

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The immigrants work of digging the canals along the Merrimack River to power Lowell's mills was arduous and sometimes dangerous

Photo by Boston Globe

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Over 1,300 artifacts from a 19th century Irish settlement in Lowell, near Boston, will be revealed on March 10 by archaeologists.

The  presentation, "The Irish Dig: A Forum,” will reveal the treasures found at the archaeological dig in Lowell last August, when "New Dublin,” an 1800s Irish shanty town’s remains were excavated.

Late last summer six UMass Lowell students, along with Dr. Colm Donnelly and Dr Harry Welsh from Queen's University in Belfast, completed a week-long excavation as part of a study of the Irish who emigrated to Lowell both before and after the Great Irish Famine.

In 1822 New Dublin, a small shanty town, was established. This shanty town later became the modern day, Lowell.

Back in 1822, 30 Irish laborers walked from Charlestown and helped to dig canals along the Merrimack River. These canals helped to power textile mills and established Lowell as a cloth-making hub.

Initially New Dublin was made up of wooden huts and a wooden church named St. Patrick's. This was eventually rebuilt, and St. Patrick's remains on the same site today. New Dublin was home to 100 cabins made of slabs and rough boards.

The August dig, which took place on the lawn of St. Patrick's, unearthed 1,352 artifacts. This is a huge find, and it roused a great deal of public interest in Lowell which led to the results being opened to the public.

The forum will include presentations from David McKean, St. Patrick’s Church historian and archivist; Dr. Frank Talty, co-director at the Center for Irish Partnerships at UMass Lowell; and Dr. Colm Donnelly, director at the Center for Archaeological Fieldwork at Queen’s University, Belfast.

The presentation will take place on Thursday, March 10, at O'Leary Library, Media Center on the UMass Lowell South Campus.

Read more: Famine Irish shantytown will yield its secrets

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