This week I was given a really good genealogical book on Kerry (and West Limerick) emigration to Canada. The Book is called The Kerry Chain, The Limerick Link* and it is by Carol McCuaig. Carol has conducted painstaking research in both Canada and Ireland, and it basically tells the story of the chain migration of more than 200 people who came to Canada from County Kerry between 1825 and 1875. My copy of the book is on loan from John Pierse of Listowel, I looked it up on Amazon now and it is available, but currently costing $145. If you are interested in North Kerry migration or you are Canadian/Irish, you should try your local library or bookshop for a copy.
Carol gives the background to the initial assisted passages. While the British Government gave the impression that they initiated the scheme to alleviate the distress and poverty, which at that time was mainly due to the collapse in wheat prices, ongoing land issues and the rapidly increasing Irish population, the real reason was the need to have in place in Canada, settlers who would be ‘loyal to the Crown’ (?) in order to stave off any incursions across the border, that might occur, from the Americans who had won their independence only twenty years previously, and who may have had ambitions to add Canada to their territory. . Whatever the story, Peter Robinson was appointed to oversee the experiment. He visited Ireland seeking prospective settlers. He got Parish Priests to announce it and local magistrates were asked to recommend respectable families. More than 50,000 applied to go in 1823, but in that year, just 568 were accepted but by 1825, more than 2000 had set sail for Canada under the scheme. 113 people, mostly from Listowel completed the voyage in 1825 and settled in Ennismore township. They were families of Brick, Cahill, Collins, Costello, Foley, Galvin, Hegarty, Keane, Kelliher, Mahoney, Popel, Shanahan, Stack and Sullivan.
The really interesting part is not so much those who went on those early assisted passages. It was the chain that was set up where settled families sent back for their relatives still in Ireland, to join them in Canada, where they intermarried and where they almost all settled in the same area in Eastern Ontario. An Enright family came from Ballylongford to the same area of Renfrew County at the time of the Famine, they were inter related with other Ballylongford Enrights, with McElligotts, Hollys, Sullivans and Hedicans. There is a section of Admaston which is still knows as the Enright Settlement. It is this history of familes, relations, neighbours joining those already in this area, that gives a fascinating overview of what could be called part of the Kerry diaspora.
While many of the people originated in North Kerry, from such places as Ballylongford, Ballydonoghue, Listowel and Newtownsandes. Another group came later from Sneem and Cahirciveen districts.
*Carol McCuaig, The Kerry Chain, The Limerick Link, [Renfrew, Ontario 2003,]
Kay
That’s a fascinating overview of the chain migration from Nth Kerry to Canada. Can I suggest that a similar study done on assisted migration schemes to Australia primarily to NSW is Richard Reid’s Farewell My Children in which he looks at the assisted migration schemes and focuses on some migration from Tipperary to towns near Canberra in S E NSW.
Also a woman in New Zealand Carolyn Sarten has done an extensive study of the chain migration from East Kerry from 1850s to the Taranaki area of the Nth Island if NZ. It is family history but the chain migration to that area continued well into the twentieth century with people from the Farranfore and Currow areas going there to join families working on the farms.
I am sure there is an academic study or PHD just waiting to be done on the Irish but specifically Kerry migration and co tribute on to that area of NZ.
Regards
John Summers
Sydney
John thank you for the comments and suggestions. It is great to get an overview from outside this country. I would be particularly interested in the New Zealand study as a number of my husband’s family went to New Zealand from the Castleisland/Ballymac areas which we found very strange as I wasn’t aware of this study. It hadn’t occurred to us that this might be another link in a chain from that locality. I must have a look at that, when I get finished with my current work. Did you get an invite from Jimmy Deenihan to go to and meet him with the other Kerry descendants when he was here for the International Famine Memorial? I put your name on his list anyway.
Greetings from New Zealand …I have shea /o’shea sullivan in my line from Taranaki .. The name Summers sommers.. has recently surfaced .. a family came out to live with my grt grand parents about the 1870s … i think they were on the sullivan side …We would love to hear more about them as our line is very elusive…Johanna shea and Edmond married in NZ in 1869.
Helen, why don’t you give me some more information on your Shea/Sullivan/Somers ancestors. Names, dates and any Kerry locations that you know about – we might find something on them.
Kay
Greetings from Hawera NZ.Thank you for replying to my info…We have very recently moved back to the town that my Johanna Sullivan and Edmond Shea settled at about 1860…I have traced our Edmond and 10 siblings back to being born near Callan.Johanna appears to be from Laharn in Kerry.Except for bap records of 10 chn born to Thomas Shea born about 1795 and Nellie Myles I have very little info .I do have historical info of earlier days.Edmond and Johanna had 3 chn one being a nun .. the other Thomas Arch Bishop … and My grandfather John Edward who had 8 chn.Only in the last 5 years did we find a document edpiece about the Somers family.I use my husbands email address johnkingi@xtra.co.nz and also on facebook.I look after the DNA acc of my cousin Brian Louis O’shea here in NZ.
Hi Helen,
I only just read your reply here and apologise for not getting in touch earlier. I think your Shea were central to my family’s journey to NZ and then to Australia. Please feel free to contact me and I’ll search out Carolyn’s book to reacquaint me with her research.If you are happy to I will also forward you Carolyn’s email address. She lives in New Plymouth. My address in the meantime is jsum9449@gmail.com
John
Hi John..Just on the off chance I googled Shea Sullivan tonight and couldnt believe that i had 2 responses.We moved back to Hawera days ago … the place where our line all started.have longed to come back for many years.My Great grands were Edmond Shea born 1829 near Callan and Johanna sullivan born I think 1834 at Laharne?.They married in Nz in 1869.They had 3 chn Thomas arch Bish .. Ellen a nun and my grandfather John edward …I grew up on the family farm being cared for by grands and my 2 spinster aunts.and so dearly loved.someome in the family only about 5 years ago found a letter inquiring about the Summers somers family and my cousin and I have been trying to find out about them.afte years of being very busy I’m now hoping to have the time to do more research…Just delighted to have heard from you .I use my husbands email and facebook acc johnkingi@xtra.co.nz.. Sincerest thanks Helen O’shea Kingi.
Helen good to see you are on the right track. As I have been doing a lot of research for O’Sullivan clients in the Kenmare, Kilgarvan, Beara areas in the past couple of months, I am putting together a blog on the Sullivans/O’Sullivans and their many many branch names, hopefully for next Thursday morning so you should have a look at that. Kay
Thank you Kay .. just thrilled to have so much help. I believe the mother of my Johanna was Ellen Cahill.Thanks alot. Lots of Kerry and kilkenny families still live her e in Taranaki.
Helen, that is great. I hope that you continue to follow my blogs, which of course I should compile more frequently. Time is the problem as I am kept busy on consultations, answering questions and I work a couple of shifts a month in the Genealogy Section at the National Library in Dublin. Best of luck with your ongoingn research.
Hi all,
hope you all still active here.
Today I found that Helen O’Shea Kingi and myself and brother and a son share dna albeit 5.1 gens back.
I found this via Sullivan dna group on facebook. Sullivan/O’Sullivan Dna & Genealogy
i have my great grandfather John Sullivan b c 1838. In 1858 when he joined army his address given as Kilcummin Kerry and his father as an Edward. my gedmatch numbers M032641 T515884 T820023.
I can follow my John from army and other family from his marriage to my g grandmother Ann Bailey in 1865 Portsmouth Hampshire England
Great to share that line with you Tricia,,, thankyou.Your John could well be a brother of my Johanna born 1834 to John sullivan More and Ellen Cahill[ not sure./Our Dna Family Finder match is thru my cousin Brian Louis O’shea whose account John and myself manage . T115944….amazing to finally find my 2nd only connection. Thanks again . Helen O’shea Kingi.
Hi Tricia.. Helen O’shea Kingi nz here.. I have at last had my Dna results HN9457273 on Ancestry ,, also have a Tree on there.. Our email is johnkingi@xtra.co.nz.
So special to have a contact with you… William Mitchell is my omly other his GrtGm was Mary a sister of my Johanna born to John Sullivan and Ellen Cahill about 1834 .. I have Laharn as the place .