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Irish Diaspora

Cork also saw the beginning of the worldwide Irish Diaspora who chiefly departed from Cove for the New World, and later for the British Colonies and Her Dominions; due primarily for the need to escape abstract poverty, as a result of various periods of famine and of course mass deportation on convict ships.

Queenstown as it was then known, was also the last port of call of the ill fated maiden voyage of Titanic. Here she admitted 123 Irish Immigrant, of which only 44 survived. Of these 19 are known to have been from Cork. Of whom only 6 are believed to have survived.

It would prove extremely difficult, if not impossible to calculate with any degree of accuracy, the global proportional population these peoples represent. It is, however, generally accepted to be currently in the region of 70-100 million. The only source of reasonable data is provided by Ireland Roots as follows; and must be stated to be an approximation only.

Name Age Home Town Lifeboat
Bridget Delia Bradley 22 Kingwilliamstown 13
Daniel Buckley 21 Kingwilliamstown 13
Katherine Buckley 22 Ovens  
Jeremiah Burke 19 Glanmire  
Patrick Connors 61 Charleville  
William Doherty 22 Cork  
William Foley 20 Donoughmour  
Hanora (Nora) Hegarty 18 Whitechurch  
Annie Jane Jermyn 26 Ballydehob D
Michael Linehan 21 Boherbue  
Timothy O’Brien 21 Drimoleague  
Patrick Denis O’Connell 16 Kingwilliamstown  
Maurice O’Connor 16 Boherbue  
Patrick O’Connor 23 Kingwilliamstown  
Bridget O’Driscoll 24 Ballydehob D
Hanora (Nora) O’Leary 16 Kingwilliamstown 13
Hannah Riordan 18 Glenlougha 13
Ellen Natalia Shine 20 Cork ?
Great Britain
  • 75% of Irish born people living abroad are in Britain
  • There are also aprox. 1.7 million who were born of Irish Parents
  • Third generation Irish community in Britain could be in the region of 6 million
United States (Census 2002)
  • 10.8% of the total US population claim Irish ancestry - the equivalent of 7 times the population of Ireland itself
  • Irish born people in US number 156,000
  • States with the largest Irish-American population were: California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois
  • Irish-Americans were the largest ancetral group in Washington DC, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Canada
  • First generation Irish 28,500 approx
  • 3.8 million say they are of Irish ancestry
Argenta
  • In the latter half of the 19th century approx 45,000 Irish arrived in Argentina - some 20,000 of which settled, with most of the remainder moving back to the US
  • Today in Latin America some 300,000 to 500,000 are estimated to have some Irish ancestry, most of them living in Argentina, with lesser numbers in Central America, Uruguay and Brazil
Australia
  • Third largest Irish born population outside Ireland
  • First generation Irish 74,5000 approx
  • During the 18th and 19th centuries 3000,000 free imigrants and 45,000 prisoners sailed to Australia from Ireland
New Zealand
  • First generation Irish 11,000 approx
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