From the book, You Wouldn’t Want to Sail on an Irish Famine Ship by Jim Pipe

Prior to the Journey You are an Irish farmer living in the western part of Ireland in the 1840s. Taking care of your family is hard work with little pay, but you are making it. Then, in 1845 everything changes for the worse. A mystery disease wipes out your potato crop. You decide to escape famine by traveling across the Atlantic in hopes of making a better life for your family.

The effects of the fungus blamed for the Irish potato famine

Facts Prior to the Journey Potatoes are the only crop that will grow easily in the poor soil. One in three people in Ireland eat almost nothing but potatoes. Under British law, life is hard for Catholics. Until 1829, most Irish people couldn’t buy land, vote, go to church, carry a sword, or own a horse worth over five pounds.

What has happened to the potato crop? Experts have no idea why the potatoes are rotting. Many blame the cold weather, heavy summer rains, insects, and poison in the air. When they finally figure it out that it is a fungus making the potatoes rot, they are 30 years too late!

Workhouses After running out of food, many Irish moved to workhouses. These houses were built to house the poor and homeless. They are damp, filthy, and crowded.

Facts Workhouses Workhouses are like prisons. Once you enter, you cannot leave. You work all day doing boring jobs. Families are often torn apart. Rules at workhouses are very strict. All meals must be eaten in silence. By 1847, people are dying inside the workhouses as they run out of food. Anyone caught stealing is shipped to Australia. Some are so desperate for food that they commit petty crimes; at least in prison they will be fed.

Why go to America? During the famine, 1.5 million Irish people die. To cope with the large numbers, bodies are buried using “sliding coffins.” The bottom of the coffin opens, dropping the body into a large pit. Then the coffin can be used again. Between 1849 and 1854, some 49,000 families are thrown out of their homes.

The Famine Ship Many ships going to America leave from Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. Your family must walk hundreds of miles to get there. You are herded onto ships. You carry a few bags, pots, and pans for cooking.

Facts The Famine Ship Your whole family must pass a medical examination and get their tickets stamped. People are pulled onboard in a heap. Even if you fall flat on your face, the next person is pulled on top of you. There are heavy fines for carrying unlisted passengers. The captain of the Amelia Mary leaves 17 people stranded on a beach when he finds too many on board.

The Voyage Onboard the ship you are given a tiny space to live in; however, not everyone is poor. Some families can afford a cabin. The crossing usually takes 40 – 45 days unless bad weather plays a factor.

Facts The Voyage If you break the ship’s rules, you risk being beaten by the crew or lashed with a rope. The captain’s word is law. If passengers complain, they can be charged with mutiny. Mutiny is punishable by hanging! Hold your nose! Most of the time passengers are kept below decks. The only place to pour your waste is in the hold below. The smell makes it hard to breathe. The sailors are supposed to do the cleaning, but they often leave it to the passengers.

Staying Alive on the Ship Each week you are supposed to receive 7 pounds of bread, crackers, flour, rice, oatmeal, and potatoes. Quite often people only got half of that. You also receive a gallon of water. You can earn extra money by working as a crew member, but if you make a mistake, you will be beaten.

Stormy Weather The wind helps move your journey along, but strong winds can also be your biggest enemy. Storm winds can blow a ship off course or force it to turn back.

Facts Stormy Weather During a storm, anything not tied down gets thrown from one side to the other: people, boxes, barrels, and even dead bodies. Many famine ships are leaky old tubs that let in a lot of water during the storm. Make sure you’re in the top bunk. It’s not much fun if the people above you are seasick.

Coffin Ships You are starting to enjoy the streak of good weather when all of a sudden there is trouble onboard. One of the passengers has died of fever, and in the cramped spaces, it spreads like wildfire.

Facts Coffin Ships The fever can affect a person’s mind. Some people jump off the ship in a frenzy. There are several deaths every day. Bodies are wrapped in sailcloth and thrown overboard. You’ve landed in Canada, but almost half of the Irish emigrants sail to New York. During the Famine years, more than 650,000 arrive on 2,743 voyages.

Journey’s End America is a good place to be if you can work with your hands. You will never forget the Famine or the coffin ships, but you and your family have survived the hunger and fever to build a new life in America.

Facts Journey’s End By 1850, there were more Irish in New York than in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Today, some 44 million Americans are of Irish heritage.