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| Monument to the lost passengers of the Carricks 1847 |
It's the 4th of July in America, the national party in honor of a proclamation of independence made 243 years ago. There will be fireworks, parades, and picnics; a well deserved tribute to the brave rebels who made their stand so long ago and backed it up with their lives. Their sacrifices made our way of life today possible and we owe them a deep debt of gratitude.
A different sort of memorial will also be taking place this morning, to the north, and about 400 miles east of Quebec. A burial ceremony for immigrants desperate for a better life in North America whose dreams were snatched from their grasp as a massive storm destroyed their ship and stole the lives of their children.
Their tale began in 1847 in a Sligo suffering in the throes of famine and came to an end on a rock strewn beach at Cap des Rosiers, Canada, as the survivors struggled ashore-- drenched, cold and screaming the names of their missing loved ones in an attempt to be heard above the crashing waves. Of the 180 people who sailed on board the Carricks, only 48 survived. Approximately 87 were buried there on the beach while the rest were never found. Most of the victims of the catastrophe were women and children.
Local legend for years told the story of a mass grave on the beach but it came to the attention of a wider audience in 2011 when the remains of three children were found washed ashore. Testing proved these were small victims of the 1847 shipwreck, between the ages of seven and twelve, whose bones showed all the marks of famine and malnutrition and indicated a diet low in protein and dependent on potatoes. Unfortunately the bones contained no DNA.
A representative of the Irish embassy in Quebec will speak at their funeral today and plans to say,"While this is very much an Irish tragedy it remains also part of Canada’s story, recalling the enormous humanitarian generosity of Canadians in keeping Canada’s ports open at the migrant’s time of need". Jason King, a native of Montreal and the academic coordinator at the Irish Heritage Trust and National Famine Museum in Ireland notes, “It invites us to reflect on people’s experiences today when they embark on similar types of journeys.”
Their tale began in 1847 in a Sligo suffering in the throes of famine and came to an end on a rock strewn beach at Cap des Rosiers, Canada, as the survivors struggled ashore-- drenched, cold and screaming the names of their missing loved ones in an attempt to be heard above the crashing waves. Of the 180 people who sailed on board the Carricks, only 48 survived. Approximately 87 were buried there on the beach while the rest were never found. Most of the victims of the catastrophe were women and children.
Local legend for years told the story of a mass grave on the beach but it came to the attention of a wider audience in 2011 when the remains of three children were found washed ashore. Testing proved these were small victims of the 1847 shipwreck, between the ages of seven and twelve, whose bones showed all the marks of famine and malnutrition and indicated a diet low in protein and dependent on potatoes. Unfortunately the bones contained no DNA.
A representative of the Irish embassy in Quebec will speak at their funeral today and plans to say,"While this is very much an Irish tragedy it remains also part of Canada’s story, recalling the enormous humanitarian generosity of Canadians in keeping Canada’s ports open at the migrant’s time of need". Jason King, a native of Montreal and the academic coordinator at the Irish Heritage Trust and National Famine Museum in Ireland notes, “It invites us to reflect on people’s experiences today when they embark on similar types of journeys.”
I certainly will give thanks today for men like Thomas Jefferson who espoused the premise, "a right nature has given to all men, of departing from the country in which chance, not choice, has placed them". Along with my sincere thankfulness for those who assisted all my immigrant great-great-grandparents when they left Ireland one hundred and seventy some years ago fleeing the famine and seeking a home in America. What would have become of them had they been turned away?
Well said!
ReplyDeleteBless you Kat!
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