National Famine Walk to Dublin along Royal Canal

An international group are to follow in the footsteps of tenants from Strokestown who were forced to emigrate to Canada during the summer of 1847, on the National Famine Walk from Saturday May 27 to Thursday June 1.

President Michael D Higgins will greet and send the walkers off at a commemorative event at Richmond Harbour, Clondra, County Longford.

They will be walking along the Royal Canal in costume and invite people to join them for stretches of the route.

The walkers are due to walk from Abbeyshrule to Mullingar on Monday May 29 (9.30am-5pm, 27km); and from Mullingar to Longwood the following day (9.30am-5pm, 30km).

The event recreates the journey of 1,490 tenants from Denis Mahon’s estate at Strokestown Park, now the site of the Irish National Famine Museum (www.strokestownpark.ie).

Their journey took place in May 1847 or ‘Black 47’, one of the worst years of the Famine. The tenants were escorted by Bailiff Robinson to Dublin to ensure they boarded ship and did not return home.

The story of the tenants’ fate after they left Dublin is a harrowing one. They travelled on open deck packet steamers to Liverpool and then crossed the Atlantic on some of the worst “coffin ships” – Erin’s Queen, Naomi, The Virginius and The John Munn.

Almost half of those who embarked died aboard ship or in the ‘fever sheds’ at Grosse Isle when they arrived in Quebec.

The group of walkers, who are from the United States, Canada, Finland, Northern Ireland, and, of course, Strokestown, would like to meet local people along the way.

They will build on the success of the 2015 Irish Famine Walk and help lay the foundation for a permanent National Famine Way walking trail.

This is being developed by Strokestown Park House, the Irish National Famine Museum, and the Irish Heritage Trust in partnership with Waterways Ireland, ADAPT: The Global Centre of Excellence for Digital Content, EPIC – the Irish Emigration Museum, Royal Canal Amenity Group, Roscommon and Longford County Councils, and Strokestown Community Town Team.

Follow the Famine Walkers in real time at nationalfamineway.ie. For information contact: Strokestown Park and Irish National Famine Museum at 071 963 3013; info@strokestownpark.ie; see strokestownpark.ie.