How the Irish saved Thanksgiving

A rescue ship from Dublin helped the starving pilgrims

JOHN CUSACK,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Sunday, November 18, 2012, 7:02 AM

Updated Sunday, November 18, 2012, 7:02 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

5 Comments

"Freedom from Want" - painting of a Thanksgiving feast by Norman Rockwell

The first Thanksgiving was actually celebrated in February 21 1621 when a band of starving pilgrims at Plymouth Rock were saved at the last minute by the arrival of a ship from Dublin, Ireland bearing food from there.

The Boston Post the largest circulation newspaper in the 1920 and 1930s discovered the earlier date for the Thanksgiving ritual and showed that the traditional date of the autumn of 1621 was actually incorrect.

According to the ‘Observant Citizen’ a columnist for the Boston Post the Pilgrims in the winter of their first year were starving and faced the end of the their project to colonize the new land when “a ship arrived from overseas bearing the much needed food.’

Ireland’s strangest place names

Top ten spectacular places to see in Ireland - PHOTOS

The Observant Citizen, because of anti-Irish prejudice refused to name it as an Irish ship but it was actually The Lyon and “its provenance and that of the food was Dublin Ireland.”

It turned out that from records at the Massachusetts Historical Society that the wife of one of the prominent Plymouth brethren was the daughter of a Dublin merchant and that it was he who chartered the vessel, loaded it with food and dispatched it to Plymouth.

The Observant Citizen whoever he was, never admitted the Irish connection even though a number of Irish organizations challenged him on the issue.

Nonetheless the Massachusetts historical records revealed the tale giving the Irish a fair claim to saving Thanksgiving.

Nster.com

E-mail

5 Comments

See all comments

SheilaSB | Nov 19, 2012, 03:57 PM EST

Has it occurred to anyone that this "Irish ship" story is a joke or satire? It seems a bit "over the rainbow" to me.

Report abuse

Seanmor | Nov 18, 2012, 04:11 PM EST

I'm reminded of Limerick, Maine, a town I visited in August, 1986, and tried to find out if it had any connection with my native Irish county. The owner of a book store whose wife was a member of the Limerick Historical Society showed me a book which that organization had recently produced. The first page stated that the town was originally called Limebrick but that was changed to Limerick. The next week in the library at 42nd St. % 5th Ave I discovered that Limerick, Maine, was founded in 1774 by James Sullivan, whose namesake father emigrated from Limerick, Ireland, in the 1720s )and also became the father of Revolutionary War General John Sullivan. It appears as though a book of several vvolumes could be written about significant accomplishments of the Irish for which they have NOT received official recognition.

Report abuse

Seanmor | Nov 18, 2012, 03:58 PM EST

This article reminds me of an experience I had in the town of Limerick, Maine, in Aygust, 1986. In an effort to find out if this town had any connection with my native Irish county, I asked the powner of a local book stote whose wife was a member of the Limerick Historical Society. The store owner showed me a book about that his wefe's organization had recently produced and the first page of this book stated that the original name of the local town was "Limebrick" but soon that name was changed to "Limerick". The following week I discovered in the library at 42nd St. & 5th Ave that Limerick, Maine, was founded by James Sullivan, whose whose namesake father emigrated from Limerick, Ireland, in the 1720s (and also became the father of Revolutionary War General John Sullivan. It appears as though a book of several volumes could be written about singnificant historical which the Irish achieved but were NOT given credit for.

Report abuse

mreinhar2001 | Nov 18, 2012, 01:21 PM EST

The article would have been more credible with some links to info either form the original article or to specific info at the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Report abuse

slainte9 | Nov 18, 2012, 12:20 PM EST

In all likelihood, the merchant who sent the ship was one of Elizabethan English colonists, and not Irish.

Report abuse