I was reading about

The Great Irish Potato Famine on Facebook and how boats full of grain, butter, and livestock continued to be exported to Britain despite it all, sometimes under military guard, and in at least one case, a plea by a British relief official to divert 60,000 tonnes of grain to feed the starving was specifically denied.

There is a book I bought used from Better World Books called The Graves are Walking: The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People by John Kelly. Given that quite a bit of my ancestry is Irish, I'm interested in the history.

Anyway, I was reading on Facebook, and it reminded me of a song, a modern folksong that I dearly love but which brings me to tears every single time I hear it. It was written by American songwriter Peter Jones based on letters found in his family's attic, written by his great-great-great-grandfather and sent to his son. It is called 'Kilkelly, Ireland', about the family left behind after that son's emigration from County Mayo to America.

Here's a video that did a nice job with the song and images. I believe this is the version sung by Robbie O'Connell, Mick Moloney, and Jimmy Keane.

A song of the Famine

I wrote of the Irish Famine memorial in New York City the other day. Here is my favourite song about the time...this version is by the Clancy Brothers and Robbie O'Connell (the latter of whom is the one who sings).



This is a version with Mick Moloney--with lyrics included:


Thanks, Bill, for having introduced the song to me so many years ago.

Remembering the Irish Potato Famine that drove so many out into the rest of the world

It's in Lower Manhattan and has been built with plants native to and building materials from Ireland. It's quite tranquil and lovely, especially considering it is built inside a major city. Thanks to Bill Hart for the link.