Return to Athenry

A simple twist of fate leads to life-changing consequences for a family in Victorian Ireland

- Derek Rogerson

A chill wind blew from across the bay. Mary pulled the threadbare shawl tighter around her shoulders to protect the precious bundle she held close to her chest.

She was not alone. On the grassy knoll that overlooked the bay, a small number of grieving wives and sweethearts had gathered in the hopes of one last sighting of companions, who for their 'crimes' had been sentenced to deportation to Botany Bay in Australia.

How had it come to this? It seemed like only yesterday that she, Michael and baby Rory had been so happy in the small but neat cottage in the grounds of Michael's employer, Charles Edward Trevelyan.

Although the 1840s were hard times in Ireland, Michael considered himself fortunate to have paid work. He was employed as a farrier and blacksmith on the Trevelyan estate, and although his pay for working a 14-hour day was a mere pittance, the one saving grace was the tiny one-bedroomed cottage and a small plot of land that came with the job.

With a gathering tear in her eye, Mary recalled those memorable but fleeting moments, when after a hard day's work, she and Michael would sit at the back step with Rory in his makeshift cradle, watching the setting sun and waving at the wee birds flying home to roost for the night.

As the sun slowly set beyond the distant hills, Mary's lilting voice could often be heard as she gently rocked the cradle and sang an old Gaelic lullaby to her dark-haired new born son. Yet sadly, such poignant recollections would never more be repeated. Michael was gone and so was the wee thatched cottage that had held such happy memories for the little family - so how had it come to this?