Graceville

 
 
 

GRACEVILLE


The story of the 'Connemaras' & Bishop John Ireland in Minnesota.

 

 

 




In June, 1880 a shipload of  impoverished families,  fishermen and smallholders from the West of Ireland, was transported to Minnesota by the Bishop of St. Paul.
Each family was given twenty acres of rich prairie land from which the Dakota Sioux had recently been driven.
Bishop John Ireland had a personal financial interest in the railway policy of settling the prairies.
The 'Connemaras' now had rich land. Trouble was that all they had wanted was to escape to a city - the Famine had taught them not to trust the land. Besides, it was too late in the season to plant crops.
Winter came to the prairies, the worst in living history - twenty foot snowdrifts, 30 degrees below.


 
 
The local Masons in the town of Morris took pity on the freezing families but also used their plight as a stick with which to beat the Catholic Bishop. He responded with public criticism of the 'Connemaras'. It became a public scandal in the United States. The Connemaras, unable to speak, read or write in English, could not defend themselves.


Since then, largely thanks to Bishop Ireland, the name 'Connemara' is synonymous with laziness in Minnesota. All the Bishop's personal records of this episode were later burned by his sister, a Reverend Mother.

A little known and sobering tale.

 

 Researched and narrated by Seosamh Ó Cuaig
 Written by Bob Quinn
 (Gael Media, Colour, 50 mins) (1997 )
 

 

Fáilte go Conamara

 
 

  

NB. Bob Quinn films are now available on VIMEO. 

Poitin on Vimeo
Atlantean on Vimeo

 

 

for BOB QUINN films
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NEWS

The newly restored Atlantean films

are now available on two DVDs in pristine 16:9 format.


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Check out "NADA' IMAGES
 
 
Neolithic Anti-Dealer Art
(can't be bought, sold or moved)
 
"...some form of gnarled, self-conscious, confrontational howl."
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The Atlantean Irish

 

Book & film quartet of films.

 

The historic connection between Ireland & the Orient

 

The first episode can now be viewed on 'Dailymotion'
 
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NEWS
'Kill your Darlings' , a newish novel by Bob Quinn, is now available at Kindle Store.
 
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Available at www.conamara.org
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