Ireland 1845-1850 The Great Irish Famine

The Ulster American Folk Park

During this time period in history, many Irish-American immigrants made the long trek from their homes and families in Ireland, to various l

ocations in North America, especially the United States. These were very difficult times for the Irish Immigrants.
This was mainly because they were leaving a life that had already been established in Ireland, but also because at this point in history, thousands of Irish citizens were dying off from The Great Irish Famine. While traveling towards Dublin, we stopped at the Ulster American Folk Park, which is an open-air museum that explores various cultural links between Ulster and the American Immigration movement. Various exhibits of interest that were seen at theAmerican Folk Park include a cupboard that depicted 5 Irish mannequins living in very tight quarters and a large replica of a boat that would have carried Irish Immigrants over to the Americas. The Ulster American Folk Park did an amazing job of bringing to life this very devastating time in Irish-American history.

The Walls of Derry

While traveling to Derry, in Northern Ireland, we visited the thing that the city is famous for… their walls! Derry is one of the only walled cities in all of Europe, which it has been since 1619. The walls have never been penetrated in all of Derry’s history. During times of distress and difficulty, such as the Great Irish Famine, the walls were used to keep the poor peasants out of the city, while keeping the food and supplies locked up in the city with the elite. Just on the inside of the wall, is the Church of St. Colombo, a Protestant Church in the city of Derry. This was a truly impressive sight to be seen, due to its magnificent stained glass windows and antique flags hanging from the rafters of the church.