An Irish Emigrant Ship Revisits Canada and Grosse-Ile in the 21st Century
by Catherine McKenna (Price-Patterson Canadian Publishers).
Synopsis
In 2003, the Irish emigrant ship replica the Jeanie Johnston set sail from Fenit, Ireland on her maiden voyage to visit some 20 North American ports on the Eastern seabord. The pinnacle of this odyssey would be her return to her spiritual home at Grosse-Île, Québec, where she would moor with the purpose of paying long-awaited homage to the 5, 424 Irish emigrants who fled their homeland and survived their arduous voyage only to die on its shores. The Jeanie Johnston project was also a gesture of thanks to the clergy and medical staff of Québec who warmly welcomed them and risked and lost their lives ministering to them.
Following the good fortune of winning an essay contest that earned the author a berth on this magnificent replica as a sail-trainee from Montréal to Grosse-Île and back to Québec City, she decided to keep notes in a personal journal that would make up a little over half her slim, pocket-sized volume.
The book opens with a forward by J. Peter Shea, (Montréal Irishman of the Year in 2001) who also sailed on a different leg of the voyage. Brief facts about the original ship are outlined. In the era of coffin ships, she had the remarkable distinction of not a single life having been lost on board.
In addition, the now historic speeches delivered at the ceremonies on Grosse-Île are documented. They include facts and figures about the Great Famine and emigration and offer insight as to why it is only now, some 150 years on, that Ireland is able to look back at one of the worst such disasters ever recorded.
Catherine McKenna lives and works in her native Québec City as a library clerk and ESL teacher, after many years abroad working in a variety of professions – exercise rider of Thoroughbred racehorses, pari-mutuel clerk, artists’ model, letter carrier, health food retail worker, and researcher/fundraiser for two prominent Canadian environmental organisations.
She is proud to be actively involved in Irish Heritage Quebec which works to preserve Irish heritage and culture here in Québec City.
This is her first book.
