In 2019, I created this blog for the story that I have written about my great-great grandparents’ (Patrick and Margaret Heffernan) participation in an 1825 experiment (or scheme) as it was deemed to relocate two thousand twenty-four impoverished landless, tenant farmers from Ireland to Canada. It was carried out by the British government under the direction of Peter Robinson. Hence, the title The Peter Robinson Experiment. At that time, I also posted information about pertinent topics such as hedge schools, and medical ailments/ treatments that I collected while researching their experiences. A few months ago, I removed those posts in order to complete further work on the writing. Now, I have decided to reactivate my blog and to begin by posting my photos which I took during a trip to Ireland in April-May, 2017. I completed the trip to do further research of my family history, and to get a first-hand view/perspective of the country that all those families left behind. The photos, which I will post in batches, include scenes of towns and their surrounding areas in Counties Cork and Tipperary, historical sites, as well the harbour in Cobh where the emigrants set sail. I hope that you enjoy the photos and find them interesting. Please send your thoughts, feelings and/or questions.
I will ‘set the scene’ here by re-posting my earlier first blog entry about the background which was a catalyst for my writing the story in the first place.
Background - A re-post
I am one outcome of the Peter Robinson experiment of 1825. in which the British government transported two thousand twenty-four starving, landless, Irish tenant farmers to Upper Canada (Peterborough, Ontario), granted them parcels of land, and then measured their success in turning the acreage into prosperous farms and in remaining loyal to the Crown. From a young age, while growing up in that farming community, I was aware that my ancestors had participated in the emigration of 1825 but it wasn't until I began to research my heritage in detail that I discovered it had been deemed an experiment. Imagine my shock. It required some mental adjustment. Upon reflection, I became even more proud of my heritage and I began to write about the history of this impressive migration. At the same time, I recognized that while there is a good amount of factual information about the experiment, there is a lack of writing concerning the personal perspectives of those desperate people. I kept wondering about what their state of mind and spirit would have been as they left everything familiar behind and journeyed into the unknown and unseen. As a result, I have written the story of my great-great-grandparents, Patrick and Margaret Heffernan, who were among the 2024 Irish emigrants of 1825. It is also a story of the shared experiences of everyone who participated in the experiment which was one of hardship, perseverance, faith, and uncertainty.
Rural Ballyporeen, Ireland
View near Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
M.E. Cooper Photo, May, 2017, All rights reserved
View near Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
M.E. Cooper Photo, May, 2017, All rights reserved.
View near Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
M.E. Cooper Photo, May, 2017, All rights reserved
‘Curious’ near Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary
M.E. Cooper Photo, May, 2017, All rights reserved
‘Not-that-curious’ near Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary
M.E. Cooper Photo, May, 2017, All rights reserved
Good Afternoon Mary,
I got your message earlier today. Could you send me a short email at brendanflynn_1@hotmail.com Thank You