Emigration stories to be recalled for Fleadh week

The famine-era cottage which once stood in Attymass and was reconstructed, stone by stone, on a half-acre site Manhattan, New York in 2002 as a memorial to famine victims is one of the inspirations for a presentation in Ballina this week.

In a powerful and unforgettable evening that will take you on a fascinating journey from the quiet townlands of Mayo to the bustling Hudson River shores of New York City, ‘Bofield to Battery Park – The Irish Famine and Emigration Story’ will be presented as part of the staging of Mayo Fleadh Cheoil in Ballina. The Mayo Fleadh is being hosted by the Gort na mBó/Bofield branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

This will be a story shaped by hardship, hope and the unbreakable spirit of our people, told through song, music and storytelling. The now-famous cottage stands today in the Battery Park area of the American city as a symbol of endurance, and in memory of the millions who left Ireland in search of survival and opportunity.

Guest speakers will guide the audience through one of the most haunting chapters of Mayo’s past, the Doolough Tragedy, a story of terrible suffering during the An Gorta Mór. Those who perished and those who endured on the long walk from Louisburgh to Delphi, and the legacy they left behind, will be honoured.

Expect an evening filled with traditional music, remembrance and songs that echo the voices of those who emigrated, as well as stories that connect Bofield to Battery Park and County Mayo to the wider world. This is more than a lecture or performance; it is a tribute to resilience, a celebration of heritage, and a reminder of the journeys that shaped generations.

‘Bofield to Battery Park – The Irish Famine and Emigration Story’ will be held in The Jackie Clarke Collection, Pearse Street on Thursday, May 7, starting at 6.30pm.