Ottawa Valley Irish and the Great Irish Famine Migration of 1847

With Michael McBane

Saturday March 18 2023, 1:30 PM

Ottawa Public Library – Hazeldean branch, 50 Castlefrank Rd, Kanata

We are pleased to host Local Author Michael McBane for our March lecture. Pre-Famine Irish settlement in the Ottawa Valley led directly to thousands of Irish Famine emigrants and refugees coming to Bytown and the Valley in search of family and friends. Because of the dramatic influx of Famine Irish into the Valley, especially in the summer of 1847, a powerful memory of Famine migration lingers in the oral tradition, especially in the rural settlements of Irish Catholics.

Michael McBane is a lifelong student of Ottawa Valley Irish history and folklore. He is author of “Bytown 1847: Élisabeth Bruyère and the Irish Famine refugees” (2022); “+John Egan: Pine and Politics in the Ottawa Valley” (2018); and “Irish Famine Stories in the Ottawa Valley,” (1996).

This free event, presented by the Goulbourn Township Historical Society, is open to everyone. It is being held in the Hazeldean Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 50 Castlefrank Road, Kanata on Saturday March 18, 2023 at 1:30 pm. Parking and refreshments are free. Please tell a neighbour and bring a friend.