Taking place over March – May 2020 in the Ballyhoura Development area, this project involves training community members to record their historic graveyards, and to identify and digitally record stories associated with the graveyards and local oral history. The project will provide up-skilling and training for members of local community groups, enhancing community development and feeding into future economic development.
Community Heritage Training Project: Homesteads and Headstones of the Peter Robinson Settlers
The course is organised by Ballyhoura Development CLG and facilitated by Eachtra Heritage. Since 1996 Eachtra have conducted archaeological training and surveying projects throughout Ireland.
This training project is envisaged in the context of the approaching 200th anniversary of an assisted emigration resettlement programme that saw over 2000 individuals and family members emigrate from North Cork and East Limerick to Canada in 1823 and 1825 under the direction of Peter Robinson, a colonial administrator.
As this anniversary approaches, Ballyhoura Development CLG has been in contact with the descendants of the ‘Peter Robinson Settlers’ with a view to organising major cooperative events in the coming years. When tracing family histories, a number of gaps have been identified in the record of the homes of settler families from the area.
The impact of the Great Famine, in particular, has made the task of linking the Peter Robinson families with their Irish roots difficult but not impossible. This training project aims to use deep local knowledge and sound historical research to bridge the gaps in records as well as joining communities on both sides of the Atlantic.
The project will be presented in Cappamore, Ballinvreena and Dromina at the upcoming Ballyhoura Development District Forums on February 24th, 25th, and 26th. All interested community members in the Ballyhoura area are encouraged to attend and get involved.
For more information and enquiries, please contact David Whyte: 063-91300 or dwhyte@ballyhoura.org.
The project is funded through LEADER Programme supported through Limerick and North Cork LCDCs.
We hope you have found the information we have shared helpful. While you are here, we have a small favour to ask. Ireland Reaching Out is a non-profit organisation that relies on public funding and donations to ensure a completely free family history advisory service to anyone of Irish heritage who needs help connecting with their Irish place of origin. If you would like to support our mission, please click on the donate button and make a contribution. Any amount, big or small, is appreciated and makes a difference.