Irish documentary: ''Death or Canada'' (on History Television network)

[Celeste]

Anyone who pulls in History Television, which is the best TV network in Canada (not that it has much competition), might enjoy this documentary:

http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=106396
 

In 1847, Ireland was in the grip of a devastating famine – a catastrophe that lasted five years and sparked the largest human migration in modern history. That summer, Boston, Philadelphia and New York closed their ports to Irish refugees while Canadian ports remained open. As a result, Canada bore the brunt of the Irish famine migration and between May and August of 1847, 38,000 refugees flooded the city of Toronto alone. Using newly discovered artifacts together with exhaustive archival research, Death or Canada finds startling new evidence of a famine hospital and refugee camp in Toronto – ground zero of the crisis of 1847. Shot on location in Ireland and Canada, Death or Canada is the story of people surviving against the odds, overcoming tragedy and transforming despair into hope.

when it's on
Monday
     March 16 at 1:00 PM | 8:00 PM
Tuesday
     March 17 at 12:00 AM

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xkfoob54QM&fmt=18

[Maggie]

Excellent, Celeste.
I've written to the History Channel to ask when it will be shown here in the USA.
Here's the official website:

http://www.deathorcanada.com/

http://www.rte.ie/tv/deathorcanada/

There's one bit of the website commentary I don't agree with...
It says: "This epic story, forgotten for 160 years, paints a gripping picture of this massive tide of human migration, and the sacrifice and suffering that changed the world forever....."

It was not forgotten for 160 years.....not in Ireland, and not in North America, where the survivors settled.
The general public in England didn't forget it.....because they never knew......how widespread and devastating the Famine was, for they were never told....
In my family the experiences of my great-grandparents were never forgotten. I remember my mother's uncle John Clarke, one of the historians in the family, telling of the nightmares his father suffered all his life.....about the awful smell of blight on the rotting potatoes, combined with the smell of death.
If you ever go to Ireland, visit a Famine Museum.

http://www.strokestownpark.ie/museum.html
http://www.donaghmoremuseum.com/
http://www.doaghfaminevillage.com/

And the one closest to my heartland:

http://www.faminemuseum.com/

Personal story:
About 5 years ago, Dave and I were in Thurles on a cold wet day, and we had some time on our hands.
Dave wanted to know more about the History of the Town, so we went along to the Protestant Church where the Famine Museum is kept.
We found the gate locked. As we walked away, a lady came out of her cottage and told us to go to a house on the main street, that family had the keys.
We knocked at the door, and a young teenager answered. His Daddy wasn't home, so he offered to show us around.
Dave was absolutely fascinated by the Military part of the small museum.....the uniforms and the guns, which the young man knew all about.
As we left the Museum, this delightful and knowledgeable young man was eager to tell us all about the local sports personalities who were buried there.
He also noted that I had a bandage on my hand. He took me to an ancient stone grave, with a small circular hole in one end.
He told me solemnly that in the grave was a holy woman with healing powers, and if I was to insert my finger in this hole
my hand would be cured. I laughed.....but did as he suggested.
I was still laughing when Dave said "How's your hand?" 
I think you've guessed......