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Writer's pictureDave Miller

Searching for the descendants of the Primrose girls!


I have recently read a few articles especially one from IrishCentral.com regarding a group of Irish researchers from a small town in County Galway who have begun a project regarding over one hundred orphans who immigrated from Ireland to Canada in the early 1850s. This volunteer group of amateur genealogists are attempting to connect with the descendants of 156 mostly teenage Irish orphans who left the west of Ireland and sailed to Canada in 1853. They sailed across the Atlantic aboard a ship called "Primrose." The researchers have named this project, "The Primrose Girls Project!" The goal is to find out what happened to the orphans and see if they are able to connect with the descendants of these girls.

All 156 girls boarded the Primrose from the port of Limerick on 16 July 1853 and arrived in Quebec, Canada in September. Their trip was paid for by the Board of Guardians in Mountbellow workhouse Galway as part of an assisted emigration process. The Mountbellow workhouse was where the girls resided prior to their emigrations into Canada. It is believed that many traveled on into Ontario and in some cases into the U.S.

Information so far received by the group indicates that they are aware of what happened to a few of the girls. Some married and had families of their own. The plan is to bring to light the story of these 156 girls from a workhouse in Galway as well as gather as much information about them and their descendants. The group hopes to have a commemoration for the girls in Galway next year!

A listing of the names of all 156 orphan girls can be found on the IrishCentral.com link: https://bit.ly/37tSaq7. Perhaps you are a descendant to one of the Primrose girls or might be able to provide the group with more information. If so, contact the The Primrose Girls Project: theprimrosegirls1853@gmail.com!

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