The Emmigrants Commemorative Centre

Fáilte – Carna, Connemara

Welcome to The Emigration and Diaspora Centre Project – Carna, Connemara.
This is the story of Connemara and emigration.

COSÁIN NA nIMIRCEACH
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF EMIGRANTS

Gaeilge
English

Dia dhibh a chairde sa bpobal anseo …agus ar fud an domhain.

“Cosáin na nImirceach” – seo cuid eile den slabhra cairdis idir muid féin sa mbaile agus muintir an phobal agus a sliocht ar fud na tíre agus ar fud an domhain.
Seo é a thaithneodh linn, le bhur dtoil:

Más duine thú a rugadh agus a tógadh anseo i gConamara agus a chuaigh ar an imirce, ba mhaith linn go dtabharfá dúinn do scéal féin.
Tuige ar imigh tú?
Do chuimhní ar an mbaile sna blianta sin nuair a d’imigh tú.
An saol ar an imirce agus aon scéal/scéalta ar leith atá fanta in do chuimhne faoin obair/cáirde/imeachtaí an tsaoil srl.
Ar tháinig tú abhaile srl.

Is féidir do scéal a chur chugainn ar an e-mail chuig mocathain@eircom.net no sa bposta chuig: Ionad Cuimhneacháin na nImirceach, Carna, Conamara.

No má bhfearr leat glaoch orainn agus labhairt linn: 087-2515352…sin é Máirtín Ó Catháin no ar uimhir an Ionaid i gCarna: 011-353-95-32622.

Tá sé i gceist againn go méadófaí Ionad Cuimhneacháin na nImirceach agus chrochfar na scéalta ar an mballa ach a mbeidh an áit nuaí oscailte.

Ba mhaith linn freisin dá gcuirfeá pictiúir diot féin/do theaghlach/ daoine muinteartha chugainn.
Go raibh maith agaibh.

Hello to all of you across the oceans.
We would like to have your story!

“In the Footsteps of Emigrants” – this is part of our ongoing project to create stronger links between the community at home and our diaspora across the country and across the oceans.
This is what we would like, with your help:
If you are a person who has Connemara connections, no matter how far back, we would like to have your story.

Who your people were and your connection family/ancestral connections in Connemara.
How and when your people/ancestors left Ireland.
How significant your Connemara connections have been in your life.
What is was like to visit the land of your forbears, if you have been here….
….or any other stories and information you would like to give.

You may send your story on the e-mail to mocathain@eircom.net or to e.davislillian@yahoo.ie (Eileen Davis). You may post your story to: The Emigrants Commemorative Centre, Carna, Connemara, Co Galway, Ireland, If you would prefer to call for further information on the phone, the numbers are 011-353-95-32622 or 011-353-87-9722419 (Eileen Davis) or 011-353-87-2515352 (Máirtín Ó Catháin).

We are presently in the process of preparing to extend the Emigrants Commemorative Centre and your story will be displayed in the new Exhibition area when the new Exhibition Hall is opened.
We would also much appreciate a photographs of yourself/family/relatives.

The Windy Peninsula...

Carna and Cill Chiaráin (Kilkieran) are on the far West coast of Connemara in the West of Ireland. These two areas comprise the peninsula of Iorras Aithneach – ‘The Windy Peninsula’.

‘The Windy Peninsula’ is renowned for its rich traditions of music, ‘sean-nós’ singing, ‘sean-nós’ dancing, folklore and storytelling. It is a community steeped in seafaring and fishing over the centuries and it has an illustrious tradition of boat building – Galway hookers and sailing boats included. But it was a tough place to live; the land was poor. The infrastructure was bad an there was little means of regular earnings. Emigration was the only option for very many people.

The Emigrants and Diaspora Centre will tell that story

It will be a monument in honour of our emigrants.

It will be a symbolic gathering point for the people of this community and their descendants wherever they may be.

It will portray the changing face of a rural Gaeltacht areas and the effects of emigration.

A blessing for the future

The Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh (on right) looks on as Carna Parish Priest, Fr Pádraig Standún, blesses the foundation stone for the Emigrants Commemorative Centre in Carna. September 23rd 2014.

Searching for the past

Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston looks through the old roll books in the Carna Primary School to find the names of his aunts, the Walsh’s of Callowfeenish. On the left, Máire Greene, the School Principal and immediately to her right is Sergeant Winnie Cotter of the Boston Police, the Mayor’s first cousin. Mayor Walsh’s mother, Mary Walsh, a native of Ros Muc, is on the left of the picture.

If those walls could talk

The old building from 1887. It was once a school and later the Carna Parish Hall. It will be blended into the Emigrants Centre.

The Emigrants Commemorative Centre was officially opened on the 12th of May, 2018 by the Mayor of Boston, Martin J. Walsh, alongside the Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Irish Government, Joe McHugh, T.D.

This photographs show Mayor Walsh and Minister McHugh jointly cutting the ribbon to officially send the Centre on its way.

This photographs here show Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Minister Joe McHugh jointly performing the cutting of the tape.

The building itself is also shown here – the Emigrants Commemorative Centre as it sets out on a road that will, hopefully, see this area benefit in social, economic and cultural terms as a result of the project.

Address

Emigrants and Diaspora Centre Office
c/o Údarás na Gaeltachta House,
Carna, Connemara,
Co. Galway
Ireland

Contacts

Email: foram@eircom.net
Phone (Secretary):
+353 87 3983189
Phone (Chairman):
+353 87 2515352

Links

Irish Genealogy Toolkit
Irish Genealogy