This path was created by Derek James Rachel.  The last update was by Erika Strandjord.

Star of the Sea : A Postcolonial/Postmodern Voyage into the Irish Famine Main Menu About This Project Star of the Sea Overview Joseph O'Connor In this section, you will learn more about Joseph O'Connor and the other works he produced Postcolonial Theory Postmodernism The Gothic in Star of the Sea Historical Figures Language and Music in Irish Culture Biology of the Famine Landlords, Tenants, and Evictions In the following pages, you'll learn about landlords, tenants, and evictions during the Irish Potato Famine Government Policies and Emigration Media Memorials Contributors Brief biographies of the people who made this book.

Coffin Ships

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“[…] Friendless emigrants stowed away like bales of cotton, and packed like slaves in a slave ship; confined in a place like that, during storm time, must be closed against both light and air, who can do no cooking, nor warm so much as a cup of water…. Passengers are cut off from the most indispensable conveniences of a civilized dwelling… We had not been at sea one week, when to hold your head down the forehatchway was like holding it down a suddenly opened cesspool.”
- A ship’s officer (qtd. in Litton 105).

Coffin Ships received their nickname for a reason. Conditions aboard such a ship would include disease-ridden quarters, non-existent hygiene situation, and no food and water for the one to two month trip ahead. Some coffin ships landed at their destination with more passengers dead than alive. However, there were only a few coffin ships that proved to be the exception. These coffin ships would have a better crew and enough supplies to last everyone for the entire journey. Explore further the conditions on coffin ships, and more information on the different coffin ships that sailed during the famine years. 
Researcher/Writer: Ellen-Marie Pedersen
Technical Designers: Derek Rachel and Amanda Lundeen

This page has paths:

  1. Emigration Bibliography Amanda Lundeen
  2. Diseases and Conditions Aboard Coffin Ships Erika Strandjord
  3. Decent Ships of the Irish Famine Erika Strandjord
  4. Horrible Coffin Ships of the Irish Famine Erika Strandjord
  5. Emigration: The Last Resort Amanda Lundeen
  6. How the Coffin Ships Sailed Erika Strandjord
  7. Destinations Bibliography Ellie Pedersen
  8. New York City: Irish Emigrants Taking a Bite of the Big Apple Erika Strandjord
  9. Coffin Ships Bibliography Ellie Pedersen
  10. Why Emigration Became Popular Dawn Duncan

Contents of this path:

  1. How the Coffin Ships Sailed
  2. Diseases and Conditions Aboard Coffin Ships
  3. Decent Ships of the Irish Famine
  4. Horrible Coffin Ships of the Irish Famine
  5. Coffin Ships Bibliography

This page references: