Bridging 200 years and 3000 miles from Ballyhoura to Ontario

Homesteads and Headstones of the Peter Robinson Settlers.

This training project is envisaged in the context of the approaching 200th anniversary of an assisted emigration resettlement programme that saw over 2000 individuals and family members emigrate from North Cork and East Limerick to Canada in 1823 and 1825 under the direction of Peter Robinson, a colonial administrator.

As this anniversary approaches, Ballyhoura Development CLG has been in contact with the descendants of the ‘Peter Robinson Settlers’ with a view to organising major cooperative events in the coming years. When tracing family histories, a number of gaps have been identified in the record of the homes of settler families from the area.

The impact of the Great Famine, in particular, has made the task of linking the Peter Robinson families with their Irish roots difficult but not impossible. This training project aims to use deep local knowledge and sound historical research to bridge the gaps in records as well as joining communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

The project was presented at the Ballyhoura Development District Forums in Cappamore, Ballinvreena and Dromina in February 2020.

For more information and enquiries, please contact Amanda Slattery: 063-91300 or [email protected].

The project is funded through the LEADER Programme, supported through Limerick and North Cork LCDCs.

Watch a Video Introduction to the Ballyhoura Historic Graves Project