The Imirce Project: Irish emigrant letters home from North America

This presentation by Professor Daniel Carey (President, Royal Irish Academy/University of Galway) introduces a major new database of Irish emigrant letters from North America established at the University of Galway. The Imirce database (named using the Irish word for migration) makes available over 7,000 letters and memoirs of Irish people who made the journey to North America, concentrating on the period from 1800-1950. This resource tells the story of the emigrant experience in the words of the people who lived it. It offers a unique insight in social history, economic conditions, family relationships, and the emotional history of departure.