Emigration

 

 

 

 

R.M.S Scythia

 

Taken in Florida 1930s

 

Dublin 1981

A wonderful diary of a hand written detailed account of Mary Ellen Higgins Lakeview Moylough County Galway emigration journey in April 1927 from Moylough-Athenry-Cork- New York. Mary Ellen was born in 1907 and at just 20 years old, she took this journey across the atlantic ocean on the R.M.S Scythia like so many others around the country. In the diary Mary Ellen gives a detailed account from buying her tickets, who she met on her journey, cost of food on board, how sickness fell on them with high seas crossing the Atlantic and of course the entertainment on board.

Mary Ellen was Bridie Scanlon’s  Aunt. Bridie kept this diary for many years and now thankfully it is with The National Folklore Collection in UCD. This account gives an invaluable insight to what it was like to emigrate for many of our Irish people who were often alone during these journeys leaving family & friends behind, many never got to see them again.

Included is a photogaph of Mary Ellen, the boat she sailed on and the ships manifest of her record on board

You can follow this link to view Mary Ellen’s Diary of her journey to the USA:

As she says herself on the second page read every second leaf. She started writing on the right hand side pages and left the left side blank and when she ran out of pages she started writing backwards on the left hand side

https://publuu.com/flip-book/19961/63017