When we think of the great waves of Irish immigration to America and the million Irish immigrants who left their homeland for a new life in America, we can never forget the journey itself – and the vessels that made the journey possible.
For most Irish immigrants, the journey onboard their ships to America would be an experience they would never forget. Traveling on a ship to America would be their final opportunity to quietly reflect upon the life they were leaving behind and ponder the new life awaiting them in America. It would also be a struggle and sometimes end in tragedy.
Irish Coffin Ships
For most Irish immigrants, the journey onboard their ships to America would be an experience they would never forget. Traveling on a ship to America would be their final opportunity to quietly reflect upon the life they were leaving behind and ponder the new life awaiting them in America. It would also be a struggle and sometimes end in tragedy.
Irish Coffin Ships
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| Man Dying on Irish Coffin Ship |
Traveling to America by ship during the Irish Famine could be quite perilous. In the mid-19th century, English landlords looking to evict penniless Irish tenants would pay to have them shipped to British North America. In many cases these ships were poorly built, crowded, disease-ridden, and short of food, supplies and medical services. As a result, many Irish immigrants contracted diseases such as typhus, and many others died before reaching land. Of the 100,000 Irish that sailed to British North America in 1847, one out of five died from disease and malnutrition. Appropriately, these treacherous sailing vessels became known as “coffin ships.”
Irish & American Ports
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| Irish Immigrants Boarding a Ship |
Most of the ships carrying Irish immigrants to America, however, were well built and adequately supplied. And although sailing across the Atlantic in the 19th century presented many challenges, most Irish ships brought Irish immigrants safely to America to begin their new lives. Irish immigrants typically began their long journey from Irish ports in Dublin, Newery, Cobh (Queenstown), Limerick, Belfast, Londonderry, Galway, Waterford, Liverpool and Silgo and typically arrived in the North American ports of New York, New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Newfoundland.
Irish Immigrant Ships
The following is a list of Irish ships to America from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, obtained from Irish immigrant passenger lists. Each ship is listed with at least one known date of travel.
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| 19th Century Ship |
Abolus | Newry to New York 1811
Abyssinia | Liverpool, Queenstown & Cork to New York 1872, 1885
Active | Newry to Philadelphia 1803
Adam Carr | Glasgow to New York 1850
Adriatic | Liverpool and Queenstown to New York 1882
Africa | Belfast to New York 1811
Agenora | Liverpool to New York 1848
Akin Alexander | Londonderry to New York 1811
Albion | Liverpool to New York 1820
Albion May | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Aldebaron From Liverpool 1826
Alexander | Londonderry to New York 1811
Alexis | Greenock to Wilmington 1804
Algernon | Belfast to New York 1811
Alhambra | Dublin to New York 1846
Alleghany | Ireland to Philadelphia 1847
Amanda | Galway to New York 1827
America | Liverpool to New York 1851
American | Liverpool to New York 1846
American | Londonderry to New York 1803, 1804
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| Passengers Boarding a Ship |
Amity May | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Anglo American | Liverpool to Boston 1848
Ann & Margaret | Ireland to Boston 1767
Ann | Liverpool to New York 1820
Ann Harley | Glasgow to New York 1849
Anne | Ireland to Philadelphia 1852
Ardent | Londonderry to Baltimore 1803
Argentinus | Ireland to Philadelphia 1854
Argentinus | Ireland to Quebec 1859
Arizona | Queenstown Ireland to New York 1882
Ashburton | Liverpool to New York 1847
Asia | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1832
Atlantic | Belfast to New York 1827
Atlantic | Dublin to Boston 1804
Barbara | Ireland to Pennsylvania 1850, 1852
Belisarius | Dublin to New York 1811
Betsy | Newry to New York 1803
Bolivar | Liverpool to New York 1826
Bothnia | Liverpool and Ireland to New York 1879
Bowditch | Liverpool to New York 1839
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| Immigrants Aboard a Ship |
Bridgewater | Liverpool to New York 1860
Britannic | Liverpool and Queenstown to New York 1883
Brothers | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1804
Brunswick | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Bryan Abbs | Limerick to New York 1850
Canada | Liverpool to New York 1826
Caractacus | Galway to New York 1849
Carolina Ann | Belfast to New York 1826
Catherine | Ireland to America 1737
Catherine | Killybegs to Philadelphia 1804
Ceres | Newry to New York 1804
Channing | Roscommon to New York 1848
Charles & Harriot | Sligo to New York 1804
Charles Henry | Newry to New York 1811
Charles Napier | Ireland to St John, New Brunswick 1847
Charlotte Harrison | Greenock to New York 1850
City of Chester | Liverpool and Queenstown to New York 1878
City of Richmond | Queenstown to New York 1882
Clarence | Galway to America 1846
Clyde | Liverpool to New York 1845
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| Immigrant Ship Docked at Ellis Island |
Collingwood | Ireland to Quebec 1847
Colonist (aka "Colonial") | Liverpool to New York 1851
Columbia | Liverpool to America 1826
Columbia | Liverpool to New York 1853
Columbus | Cork to New York 1849
Combine | Ireland to Newfoundland and New York
Commerce | Liverpool to Philadelphia 1804
Competitor | Ireland to Pennsylvania 1851
Conqueror | Liverpool to America 1850
Constitution | Belfast to New York 1848
Corinthian |Liverpool to New York 1826
Cornelia | Londonderry to New York 1803
Courrier | Newry to New York
Creole | Roscommon to New York 1847
Criterion | Liverpool New York 1826
Cushla Machree | Galway to New York 1849
Dalhouse Castle | Liverpool to America 1826
Devonia | Glasgow & Londonderry to New York 1883
Diana | New Bedford and Newry to New York 1803
Diana | Cork to New York 1826
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| Immigrants Disembarking a Ship |
Diligence | Dublin to New York 1804
Dublin | Dublin to America 1826
Dublin Packet | Cork to New York 1828
Duchfour | Ireland to Quebec 1836
Duncan | Londonderry to New York 1804
Eagle | Belfast to New York 1803, 1804
Edward | Belfast to Philadelphia 1803
Edward | Ireland to Philadelphia 1854
Egypt | Liverpool & Queenstown to New York 1883
Eliza Barker | Liverpool to New York 1826
Elizabeth | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Elizabeth | Ireland to New Orleans 1858, 1860
Elizabeth | Ireland to New Brunswick 1861, 1863
Emigrant | Liverpool to New York 1849
Emma Pearl | Belfast to New York 1849
Emma Prescott | Galway to New York 1847
Encrease | Cork to Maryland 1679
Envoy | Ireland to Philadelphia 1849, 1853
Erin | Dublin to New York 1811
Erin Go Bragh | Liverpool to New York 1851
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| Immigrants in Line at Ellis Island |
Fame | Derry to Philadelphia 1811
Famine | Ireland to America 1847
Fortitude | Cork to New York 1803
Fortitude | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Franklin | Liverpool to New York 1827
Free Trader | Cork to New York 1847
Freemason | Ireland to Boston 1764
Gallia | Queenstown to New York 1882
Ganges | Cork to New York 1826
Garland | Ireland to Philadelphia 1848, 1854
George | Dublin to New York 1803
George | Belfast to New York 1804
Germanic | Queenstown to New York 1903
Glenmore | Belfast to New York 1849
Globe | Ireland to Boston 1716
Golconda | Londonderry to New York 1811
GT Western | Liverpool to America 1868
Guy Mannering | Liverpool to New York 1849
Hannah | Cork to Boston 1764
Harmony | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1811
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| Immigrants Waiting at Ellis Island |
Hartford | Ireland to Philadelphia 1847
Harvey Hide | Belfast to New York 1811
Haverford | Liverpool to Philadelphia 1921
Hector | Liverpool to New York 1820
Helen Thompason | Ireland to Quebec 1847
Henry | Cork to New York 1826
Herman Roosen | Dublin to New York 1854
Heshell | 1847 Ireland to Philadelphia 1847
Hesperus | Belfast to New York 1820
Hibernia | Belfast to New York 1811
Hibernia | Dublin to New York 1820, 1828
Hope | Galway to New York 1827
Hopewell | Newry to New York 1803
Huntress | Dublin to New York 1811
Imposter | Liverpool to New York 1820
Independance | Londonderry to New York 1803
Infantry | Liverpool to New York 1850
Intrinsic | Liverpool to New York 1848
Isaac Hicks | Liverpool to New York 1826
Isaac Webb | Liverpool to New York 1870
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| Immigrant Children at Ellis Island |
Isaac Wright | Liverpool to New York 1850
James | Newry to New York 1849
Jane | Dublin to New York 1804
Jefferson | Sligo to New York 1803
John & Adam | Cork to New York 1823
John Bell | New Ross to Boston 1849
John R Skiddy | Liverpool to New York 1846
John Wells | Liverpool to New York 1826
Josephine | Belfast to New York 1827, 1828
Jubilee | Galway to New York 1827
Junius | Liverpool to New York 1846
Jupiter | Belfast to New York 1811
Katherine | Belfast to New York 1855
Lady Washington | Belfast to Charleston 1803
Lancashire | Liverpool to New York 1847
Laurel | Dublin to New York 1826
Libuina | Ireland to Philadelphia 1854
Live Oak | Londonderry to New York 1894
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| Immigrants Exiting Ship |
Liverpool Packet | Liverpool to Baltimore 1820
Liverpool | Cork to New York 1827
Lord Strangford | Dublin to New York 1826
Liverpool | Cork to New York 1827
Lord Strangford | Dublin to New York 1826
Louisa | Belfast to New York 1826
Lucania | Queenstown to New York 1898
Lumley | Ireland to Pennsylvania 1850
Malabar | Dublin to New York 1851
Manhattan | Liverpool to New York 1820
Marcella | Galway to New York 1827
Marchioness | Ireland to St John 1847
Marchioness of Bute | Newry to New York 1849, 1850
Marchioness of Clydesdale | Greenock to New York 1852
Margaret | Newry to New York 1803
Maria | Belfast to New York 1849
Maria Duplex | Belfast to New York 1811
Marie of Wilmington | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1804
Mariner | Londonderry to New London 1811
Marmion | Liverpool to Philadelphia 1826
Mars | Dublin to America 1803
Martha | Liverpool to New York 1820
Mary | Dublin to Philadelphia 1804
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| Immigrants On Board a Ship |
Mary Ann | Ireland to Philadelphia 1851
Mary Ann | Ireland to New Orleans 1852
Mary | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1811
Mary | Dublin to New York 1827
Mary Wellington | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1811
Mechanic | Dublin to Baltimore 1804
Metoka | Roscommon to New York 1847
Milicete | Liverpool to New York 1846, 1852; Liverpool to New Orleans 1851
Mohawk | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1803
Nathaniel G. Weeks | London to New York 1851
Neptune | Newry to Philadelphia 1803
Nevada | Sligo to New York 1873
New England | Dublin to New York 1827
New World | Liverpool to New York 1850, 1855
New York | Liverpool to New York 1845
Newry | Newry to New York 1827
Nicholas Biddle | Liverpool to New York 1848
Nubia | Ireland to Quebec 1861, 1863
Numa | Ireland to America 1803
Odessa | Dublin to New York 1852
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| Immigrants at Ellis Island |
Ohio | Liverpool to New York 1845
Ontario | Dublin to New York 1819
Orlando | Ireland to New York 1811
Othello | Dublin to New York 1829
Otis | Dublin to New York 1819
Oxenbridge | Liverpool to New York 1851
Panama | Liverpool to New York 1846
Panthea | Liverpool to America 1826
Paris | Liverpool and Londontown to New York 1883
Patience & Judith | London to Boston 1716
Patty | Newry to America 1803
Pavonia | Ireland to New York 1883
Pennsylvania | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1803
Perseverance | Belfast to New York 1811
Perseverance | Dublin to New York 1846
Phoenix | Liverpool to New York 1826
Portland | Portland, Ireland to Charleston 1803
President | Newry to New Castle 1804
Prince | Dublin to New York 1821
Princeton | Liverpool to New York 1853
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| Two Immigrant Ships to America |
Progress | Roscommon to New York 1848
Progress | Ireland to St John, New Brunswick 1847
Protection | Belfast to New York 1811
Prudence | Dublin to America 1804
Rachel | Sligo to New York 1803
Radius | Cork to New York 1811
Rajah | Liverpool to New York 1852
Regulus | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Republic | Liverpool and Queenstown to New York 1883
Resolution | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Richmond | Liverpool to New York 1820
Roderick Dhu | Liverpool to New York 1852
Roman | Liverpool to New York 1826
Romulus | Liverpool to America 1826
Roscius | Roscommon to New York 1847
Sally | Dublin to New York 1803
Sally | Newry to New York 1804
Saracen | Glasgow to New York 1846
Sarah Sands | Liverpool to New York 1848
Sardinia | Liverpool to New York 1847
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| Immigrant Ship at Sea |
Schuykill | Cork to New York 1825
Serpent | Londonderry to Baltimore 1803, 1804
Sesosthis Ireland to Quebec 1847
Shamrock | Dublin to New York 1811
Sharon | Liverpool to New York 1845
Silas Richards | Liverpool to America 1826
Silvanus Jenkins | Liverpool to New York 1826, 1827
Sir Robert Peel | Liverpool to New York 1848
Snow George | Belfast to Philadelphia 1803
St George | England & Ireland to Maryland 1677
St George | Liverpool to New York 1845, 1846, 1847
St Patrick | Liverpool to New York 1845, 1849
Stakesby | Ireland to Quebec 1823
Star May | Cork to Peterborough, Ontario 1825
Star of the West | Liverpool to New York 1854
Stephen Whitney | Liverpool to New York 1845, 1846
Strafford | Londonderry to Philadelphia 1803
Superior | Ireland to New Orleans 1848, 1849
Superior | Ireland to Philadelphia 1847, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854
Susan | Dublin to New York 1803, 1804
Swan | Cork to New York 1849
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| Docked Immigrant Ship |
Tay | Greenock to New York 1840
Telegraph | Liverpool to New York 1853
Telegraph | Liverpool to New York 1820
Teutonic | Queenstown to New York 1900, 1901, 1903
Thomas | Dublin to New York 1828
Toronto | London to New York 1845
Trio | Cork to New York 1827
Union | Cork to New York 1827
Venice | Ireland to Philadelphia 1847
Venus | Dublin to Norfolk 1803
Victoria | Limerick to New York 1851
Victory | Liverpool to New York 1860
Vixen | Liverpool to Boston 1849
W. H. Harbeck | Liverpool to New York 1849
Warsaw | Glasgow to New York 1845
Washington | Dublin to New York 1849
Webster | Liverpool to New York 1854, 1855
West Point | Londonderry to New York 1811
West Point | Liverpool to New York 1849
Westminster | Liverpool to New York 1846
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| Immigrants Arriving in New York |
White Oak | Dublin to New York 1811
William & Jane | Belfast to New York 1804
William | Cork to New York 1825
William | Ireland to Boston 1766
William | Westport to New York 1851
William and Jane | Belfast to New York 1804
William and Mary | Londonderry to New York 1804
William Byrnes | Liverpool to America 1826
William Tapscott | Liverpool to New York 1854
Willmott | Cork to America 1766
Wilmington | Belfast to New York 1803
Wilson | Cork to New York 1826
York | Liverpool to New York 1826, 1827
Yorkshire | Liverpool to New York 1847
Zephyr | Donegal to New Brunswick 1833