Charlestown Online

[John R]

I recieved an e-mail message the other night from an old friend regarding "The Children of the Famine Memorial" that will be placed up at the St. Francis cemetery. There was a flyer attached to the e-mail that stated the following:

"Between the years 1845-1850 at the height of An Gorta Mor, The Great Irish Famine, hundreds of Irish children were buried at the St. Francis de Sales Cemetery, on the north slope of Bunker Hill. Many of these children were born in Ireland but died shortly after their arrival on these shores. None of these children have a headstone or marker to mark their final resting place."

The Charlestown Historical Society and Fr. Dan Mahoney are putting this memorial togehter. A fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday, March 8th at the Warren Tavern from 3:00 to 8:00 P.M. with Jack Dalton providing the music. If I remember correctly Jack was a regular performer at Sully's sometime ago.

This seems like a very worthwhile effort. In fact, we would be eternally shamed as a community we could'nt get this done!

The flyer also states "Together, we made a stunning film about our extraordinary community now we need to erect a spectacular memorial to "The Children of the Famine". Amen to all of that.

[shamrock]

If you survived the weeks long trip across the Atlantic on a coffin ship and made it to shore in Boston you often were forced to live in the most crowded and unsanitary conditions imaginable. Typhus, cholera and disintary took its toll on the exiles of Erin.The Irish of Charlestown had to overcome great opposition to opening the Catholic cemetery .A guard shack had burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances and the ruins of the Ursuline convent stood nearby. St. Francis De Sales church would be years away. However at the height of the famine the Irish of Charlestown didn't forget the suffering of the folks back in the old country and in March 1847 the USS Jamestown was loaded with tons of food by volunteer Irishmen and set sail from the Charlestown Navy Yard bound for Cork. This humanitarian aid was just a drop in the bucket for a starving nation but the people of Cork never forgot this kind gesture.

[John R]

Shamrock-You've got a great sense of history. There is today, a cholera epidemic in parts of Africa, that is getting a lot press coverage. We'll here in Charlestown and in the North End, a dramatic cholera outbreak occured in 1849. The famine Irish were in a seriously weakend state and susceptible to all kinds of illnessess. And it was the Irish who died in great numbers during the 1849 cholera rampage. Many of these unfortunates ended up in what was then known as the Charlestown Catholic Burial Ground. Death by cholera was said to be a gruesome way to go. Protestant Charlestown was horrified by the situation, as day after day, wagon loads of cholera victims were carted up Bunker Hill St. to be deposited in the cemetery. Available records show that several cholera victims were buried each day during July, August and September of 1849. Many of course were children and the elderly.

Fr. Dan Mahoney and the Charlestown Historical Society should be fully supported in their effort to erect a memorial at that historic cemetery. Hopefully, the townies and new comers alike will rally around this project.

[corps]

A very good book on Charlestown is the Irish Boston: A Lively Look at Boston's Colorful Irish Past, by Michael Quinlin.
_________________
corps

[John R]

With all the talk of Famine and Irish Immigration, Is this the best Irish immigration song or what? "Thousands Are Sailing" written and performed by the Pogues. Check out youtube for the several Pogues videos of this beautiful song.

The island it is silent now
But the ghosts still haunt the waves
And the torch lights up a famished man
Who fortune could not save

Did you work upon the railroad
Did you rid the streets of crime
Were your dollars from the white house
Were they from the five and dime

Did the old songs taunt or cheer you
And did they still make you cry
Did you count the months and years
Or did your teardrops quickly dry

Ah, no, says he, 'twas not to be
On a coffin ship I came here
And I never even got so far
That they could change my name

Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
To a land of opportunity
That some of them will never see
Fortune prevailing
Across the western ocean
Their bellies full
Their spirits free
They'll break the chains of poverty
And they'll dance

In Manhattan's desert twilight
In the death of afternoon
We stepped hand in hand on Broadway
Like the first man on the moon

And "The Blackbird" broke the silence
As you whistled it so sweet
And in Brendan Behan's footsteps
I danced up and down the street

Then we said goodnight to Broadway
Giving it our best regards
Tipped our hats to Mister Cohan
Dear old Times Square's favorite bard

Then we raised a glass to JFK
And a dozen more besides
When I got back to my empty room
I suppose I must have cried

Thousands are sailing
Again across the ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Postcards we're mailing
Of sky-blue skies and oceans
From rooms the daylight never sees
Where lights don't glow on Christmas trees
But we dance to the music
And we dance

Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Where e'er we go, we celebrate
The land that makes us refugees
From fear of Priests with empty plates
From guilt and weeping effigies
And we dance

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[oldschoolboy]

John: I would like to make a donation, but will not be able to attend the event at the Warren Tavern. Can I send a donation c/o Father Mahoney or the CHS? Best wishes.

[John R]

Hello Old Schoolboy; I recieved a mailing from the CHS that indicated that donations for the Memorial can be sent to:

The Charlestown Historical Society
P.O. Box 291776
Charlestown, MA 02129

I know that Fr. Mahoney appreciates donations to this effort.

[TheCanMan]

Wow........I attended the fundraiser today/tonight at the Warren Tavern and all I can say is it was a grand 'old day for the Old Town. TY to the Charlestown Historical Society and Saint Francis de Sales Parish for taking the lead on this very long overdue Project.....

[TheCanMan]

Hello to all the fans of "The Green Square Mile..."

In a few of the recent posts on this particular thread, Ed Callahan asked that I update all on the overall status of "The Green Square Mile" documentary film project. To re-confirm a prior announcement, the Charlestown Historical society is now working via the Society's "Cemetery Memorial Project Committee" and Saint Francis de Sales Parish to site and establish a suitable permanent Memorial to "The Children of the Famine" which will be located inside the main gate of the Archdioesan burial ground at the rear of Saint Francis de Sales Church and Rectory. Proceeds from the on-going sale of "The Green Square Mile" DVD's and companion booklets have been applied to this next project which is part of the Historical Society's overall "Irish Renaisannce Project"

Ed asked that I inform all that preliminary design for the Memorial is now complete. The firm of Deveney & White Monuments, which was chosen by the Committee for the tremendous work they did on the Charlestown Firefighters' Memorial, is in the process of finalizing the design which will encompass a traditional Celtic Cross and a stand-alone Inscription Dedication Marker. Folks can drop by the Charlestown Cooperative Bank to see an artist's rendering of the Cross.

The Committee has a working DRAFT of the Inscription which will appear on the Marker. This is only a DRAFT and is subject to change based on final project costs, but Ed and the Committee would welcome your thoughts on the following text and the sentiments that the Committee is looking to convey to posterity:

--------

To sacrifice and courage of the Children of the Famine
interred Here,
who perished on the very threshold of the Dream,
and, to those who followed,
for they dared to live the Dream
and lay the footprints,
for our Life and Times in this,
"The Green Square Mile."

May God Grant Them Life Eternal[/i]

[shamrock]

This will be a great memorial to those forgotten souls buried behind St. Francis de Sales Church. Will it be visible from Bunker Hill St? Will the cemetery be open to the public? I hope it is not hidden too far away from passers by.

[TheCanMan]

Hello Shamrock:

You offer two excellent questions. I did not get a chance to mention your questions to Ed Callahan until today when I ran into him at the Charlestown Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedication at Memorial Hall. [Another terrific project and a grand event I might add.] Co-incidentally, I also ran into Father Dan Mahoney at the very same event and asked him your questions as well.

In two separate conversations, the answers came back with a “Yes” to both of your questions. When constructed and installed, the Celtic cross will stand 8ft.-2in. atop of a 3 sq. ft. supporting base and foundation. The Committee has a plan to site the Cross just inside the main Gate leading into the Cemetery at the end of Grant’s Court. This is the Gate that is clearly visible from the sidewalk on Bunker Hill Street, precisely at the point where the Bell-yard of the Rectory separates the Church from the Rectory.

As for public access to the Memorial, the Parish will accommodate visitors who ask to see the Memorial. However, access will be available only during normal daytime hours.
Please continue to tell your friends about this important Project. Ed mentioned the need to continue raising money to pay for the final design / construction / transportation to the site Costs. Donations can be made to the Charlestown Historical Society, P.O. Box 291776, Charlestown, MA 02129.

[TheCanMan]

The Patriot Bridge reports Historical Society’s Cemetery Memorial Project Committee has made significant progress to site “The Children of the Famine” Memorial at the Saint Francis Cemetery and has confirmed a plan to dedicate the Memorial on Sunday, September 13, 2009 in conjunction with the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Saint Francis de Sales Church. According to the story, the Most Reverend Robert F. Hennessey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, will officiate a 150th Anniversary “Remembrance Mass” on September 13 at 11:00 a.m. and will lead a procession from the Church to the Archdiocesan Burial Ground (aka Saint Francis Cemetery) where He will bless the Memorial during a formal Dedication speaking program. The story says the Committee has worked out a plan with the Archdiocese to place eight foot-plus high traditional Celtic Cross and an adjoining Dedication Stone with an Inscription 15 feet in from the Cemetery main gate at the end of the walkway that extends back from Bunker Hill Street looking towards the Mystic River. It says the Cross will be visible from the sidewalk on Bunker Hill Street.

Apparently, the Committee is also pushing to finish fund-raising for the Project. The story mentions an effort to replace the existing chain link gate at the Cemetery entrance with a wrought iron fence. It mentions that folks can help with by making contributions to “The Charlestown Historical Society,” c/o P.O. Box 291776, Charlestown, MA 02129 and notes additional fundraisers will include a traditional Irish “Sessiun” on Friday, August 28, at New Sully’s and a Charlestown Duck Boat that is pending scheduling . And, the story also noted proceeds from the sale of “The Green Square Mile” DVD’s have been applied to the costs of the Famine Memorial. If you want a copy of the DVD, see Tom Coots at the Co-Op Bank on Main Street.

“TheCanMan” intends to be at New Sully’s on the 28th to lend support to this effort. I hope many of the C-Town Online.net contributors and daily readers – we know you are out there – will do likewise. This is a very good Project to support. The Historical Society and Saint Francis de Sales deserve our appreciation for staying on this Project and helping preserve our History. So, I hope folks will come out on the 28th and will also plan to be at Saint Francis on September 13.

[epstein93]

stick to one thead man, dont cross threads...........is it a movie or a memorial?

[shamrock]

you're no Einstein epstein

[epstein93]

whats the frequency?