Bronze Shoes Podcast

From Hardship to Hope: Irish Immigration to Québec During the Great Famine

This powerful piece of digital storytelling offers listeners a chance to learn about the incredible hardships and resilience of the Barrett family from Ardnaglass, County Sligo, during the Great Hunger of 1847. It tells the remarkable story of Irish immigrant Thomas Barrett, whose relentless determination to reunite with his youngest daughter, Mary, her husband Michael Rush and their three children shaped his journey. With the help of a compassionate local reverend, Father John Falvey, Barrett was able to rescue his family from the grip of the Famine and bring them to Saint-Colomban, Quebec, where they could rebuild their lives.

In this small settlement along the Rivière-du-Nord, many Irish families found hope both before and after the devastation of the Great Famine. Among them were John and Catherine Phelan, who arrived in 1847 but tragically lost two of their young children soon after. Families like the Phelans are remembered not only by their headstones in the Saint-Colomban cemetery but through the enduring legacy of strength, hope, and faith they shared, and stories passed along by their descendants.

The Irish experience in Quebec, however, was not without immense sacrifice. One of the most poignant reminders of this is the Black Rock Memorial in Montreal. Beneath the Victoria Bridge lie the graves of over 6,000 Irish refugees who perished during the typhus epidemic of 1847. These men, women, and children had fled famine in Ireland, only to succumb to disease upon arrival. Their suffering is commemorated by the Black Rock. The site remains a sacred place of remembrance for the Irish diaspora, serving as a testament to those Irish Refugees who endured the harrowing journey in search of a better life.

The Bronze Shoes sculptures, part of the Global Irish Famine Way, stand as a poignant symbol of the journey undertaken by countless Irish emigrants. Representing the footsteps of those forced to flee hunger and hardship, these shoes trace their path of survival, resilience, and hope. In Saint-Colomban, and other sites from Ireland to Canada, they serve as a lasting tribute to the Irish families who endured unimaginable loss yet found the strength to rebuild their lives in Quebec, leaving an enduring mark on its history and heritage.

Credits:

Narrator: Katherine Diamond

Mary Rush: Samara O'Gorman

John Falvey: Michael Diamond

Charles John Forbes: Bruce McKenzie

Music: "Touch" - Mattia Cupelli

Audio Engineering: Michael Diamond

Special Thanks To: Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS)