Derry Quay’s emigration history to be explored in latest Tower Talk

By Q Radio News

The story of how millions of the Irish diaspora set sail for their new life in America from Derry Quay in the 1800s will be explored in a talk at the Tower Museum on Wednesday June 28th.

In the latest of the Tower Talks series, local historian Brian Mitchell will shed particular light on the emigration links between Derry and New York using images from the Bigger and McDonald collection to help bring the story to life.

Acting Education Officer at Derry City and Strabane District Council, Ronan McConnell, noted that New York was the destination of choice for most of the Irish who emigrated to America and Derry Quay was often their last time on Irish soil.

“The journey for around nine million of the Irish diaspora began in Derry either in a sailing ship at Ship Quay or the Transatlantic Tenders platform at the bottom of Bridge Street,” he explained

“Derry was well placed geographically to benefit from the emigration of Ulster people to North America and became a major Irish emigration port throughout all the significant phases of resettlement in the 1800s.

The Minnehaha, flagship of William McCorkell and Co, Grain and Emigration Merchants of Londonderry, crossed the Atlantic 55 times between 1860 and 1873 and carried 7,000 immigrants to New York.

The ship maintained a passenger service from Derry to New York throughout the American Civil War.

The Song of Hiawatha by H W Longfellow was a source of inspiration in the naming of many of the McCorkell ships, including the flagship Minnehaha.

The McCorkell family commissioned oil paintings of many ships which sailed under the McCorkell flag from 1834 to 1897. Joseph Joshua Sempill (buried in Derry City Cemetery) painted the Minnehaha in its full glory as a passenger carrying clipper, with three sets of full sails.

Wednesday’s talk will be at the Tower Museum at 12:30pm.