Mass emigration usually is a result of a tragedy of some sort. This was definitely the case for Ireland; when the potato blight hit the island and the government still kept its focus on exporting goods rather than feeding the starving population. People were forced to leave. Whether their reasoning for emigration was the religious turmoil, the lack of food, or the simple need for a better opportunity — people flocked to leave the chaos. The EPIC Museum of Irish Emigration in Dublin gives an interactive perspective into the highs and lows of the era.
One thing that must be understood is that despite the lack of food arguably being the most prominent reason for emigration, religious factors cannot be forgotten. Catholics were oppressed with little rights to their children and their land — if they were able to have any. Sometimes food was even used as leverage for the masses to convert from Catholicism to Protestantism. But still, the promise of sustenance wasn’t always enough for people to change their religious views. When faced with the options of converting making the treacherous decision to emigrate, many chose the latter. This alone demonstrates the immense role that religion played in Irish culture; choosing to leave home rather than give up core beliefs. Overseas travel wasn’t safe or healthy in any shape or form, but it was more appealing to many Catholics than Protestantism.
Those who survived the journey to refuge took on the unimaginable task of starting from scratch. The resilience of these people is still recognized today through the gigantic impact that the Irish had on the culture around the world. From music to literature all the way to sports, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the Irish around the world. The winding rooms of the EPIC museum shifted from the heartbreaking side of emigration to the hopeful face of perseverance through culture.
Let’s be honest, who hasn’t at least heard of Nirvana, Mariah Carey, or Ed Sheeran? Kurt Cobain had an Irish background. Mariah Carey’s mother was of Irish descent. Ed Sheeran…. Is Ed Sheeran. The list goes and crosses the borders of decades and the genres. When thinking about whether they truly are Irish or just have some scrap of Irish heritage — I wonder if it even matters how Irish they really are? The main idea here is that these people are, one way or another, the product of the hardships of Irish emigration. They may not even identify as Irish, but somewhere along the line, they are.
It’s important to remember both aspects of emigration in order to fully take it all in, and the EPIC museum is perfect in its engagement into every facet of the phenomenon: the good, the bad, the why, the when, and the how. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the good in all of the bad, especially when the bad is as horrible as the reasons for the masses leaving Ireland. But there is some good to come out of it, and it’s important to always keep that in mind.