Emigration and Seasonal Migration
Background
- Tendency to see Famine (1846-1851) as cause of Irish Diaspora –when over a million people left Ireland for North America
- Heavy emigration from Ireland began well before Famine and continued well after it
- End of Napoleonic Wars in 1815 –many small farmers, agricultural labourers and rural tradesmen in Ireland saw emigration as only solution to declining economic prospects
- Emigration acted as a “safety valve”, enabling young men and women with little economic prospects to escape Ireland
Irish Diaspora Today
- 32.6 million Americans (nearly 12% of population) claim Irish ancestry
- Additional 3.5 million identify more specifically with Scotch-Irish ancestry (Ulster Scots)
- In 19th century significant Irish communities settled in Argentina and South America
- 5 million with Irish roots living in Canada
- 10 million people in Britain can trace roots back to Ireland
- 5 million people in Australia
- 500,000 in New Zealand have Irish roots
- Significant Irish communities also settled in France, Spain and the West Indies in the 17th century
Useful Emigration Websites
Click on the links below - opens onto a new page......
www.istg.rootsweb.com
www.ancestorsonboard.com
www.genealogybranches.com/irishpassengerlists
www.ancestry.com (subscription required)
www.ellisisland.org/search/passSearch.asp
http://archives.gnb.ca/Irish/databases_en.html
www.theirelandcanadastory.com/index.html
www.geocities.ws/nziconnections/immlist.htm
www.teara.govt.nz
More to be added soon.....
www.istg.rootsweb.com
www.ancestorsonboard.com
www.genealogybranches.com/irishpassengerlists
www.ancestry.com (subscription required)
www.ellisisland.org/search/passSearch.asp
http://archives.gnb.ca/Irish/databases_en.html
www.theirelandcanadastory.com/index.html
www.geocities.ws/nziconnections/immlist.htm
www.teara.govt.nz
More to be added soon.....