Merilyn from Australia visited my blog and wrote to me in my guest book. She said, " I have recently participated in a project called The IrishConvict Bonnet Project which commemorates the Irish convicts who were brought to Australia." She sent me the website on Christinia Henri who is trying to collect 25,266 bonnets to commmorate the anguish that the women convicts suffered. Go to www.christinahenri.com.au/main.html. During the famine period, the British sent those women convicts into exile to Australia on prison ships. One of many Irish songs lamenting these events were written. One of these is "The Fields of Athenry."
The song says:
Pete St. John
By a lonely prison wallI heard a young girl callingMicheal they are taking you awayFor you stole Trevelyn's cornSo the young might see the morn. Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay. Low lie the Fields of AthenryWhere once we watched the small free birds fly. Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to singIt's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry. By a lonely prison wallI heard a young man callingNothing matter Mary when your free,Against the Famine and the CrownI rebelled they ran me down Now you must raise our child with dignity. Low lie the Fields of AthenryWhere once we watched the small free birds fly. Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to singIt's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry. By a lonely harbor wallShe watched the last star fallingAs that prison ship sailed out against the skySure she'll wait and hope and prayFor her love in Botany Bay It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry. Low lie the Fields of AthenryWhere once we watched the small free birds fly. Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to singIt's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
© Pete St. John
If you want to hear the song, go into my Play List and The Patched Hats sing it. You will love the song!
Finally, if you want to make a bonnet for the cause, there is the pattern on Christina Henri's site. You adopt a convict woman from the list and that bonnet will keep her memory alive. Christina is trying to reach the goal of 25,266 bonnets. I will be definitely making one. My husband Joe and I talked about it this morning and he played me the song that I have written above. It is a very beautiful song. Also, if you want to see some examples of bonnets that people made, go to
http://www.centralcoastfhs.org.au/Roses%20from%20the%20Heart.pdf
Also, go to www.naionalarchives.ie/topics/transportaion/search01.html where they have records of the Irish convict women who were transported. Also go to http://www.femalefactory.com.au/exhibit.htm for a more extensive history of the events.
Thanks so much Merilyn for bringing this very important topic to my attention, and I am proud to get to know you.
The song says:
Pete St. John
By a lonely prison wallI heard a young girl callingMicheal they are taking you awayFor you stole Trevelyn's cornSo the young might see the morn. Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay. Low lie the Fields of AthenryWhere once we watched the small free birds fly. Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to singIt's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry. By a lonely prison wallI heard a young man callingNothing matter Mary when your free,Against the Famine and the CrownI rebelled they ran me down Now you must raise our child with dignity. Low lie the Fields of AthenryWhere once we watched the small free birds fly. Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to singIt's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry. By a lonely harbor wallShe watched the last star fallingAs that prison ship sailed out against the skySure she'll wait and hope and prayFor her love in Botany Bay It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry. Low lie the Fields of AthenryWhere once we watched the small free birds fly. Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to singIt's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
© Pete St. John
If you want to hear the song, go into my Play List and The Patched Hats sing it. You will love the song!
Finally, if you want to make a bonnet for the cause, there is the pattern on Christina Henri's site. You adopt a convict woman from the list and that bonnet will keep her memory alive. Christina is trying to reach the goal of 25,266 bonnets. I will be definitely making one. My husband Joe and I talked about it this morning and he played me the song that I have written above. It is a very beautiful song. Also, if you want to see some examples of bonnets that people made, go to
http://www.centralcoastfhs.org.au/Roses%20from%20the%20Heart.pdf
Also, go to www.naionalarchives.ie/topics/transportaion/search01.html where they have records of the Irish convict women who were transported. Also go to http://www.femalefactory.com.au/exhibit.htm for a more extensive history of the events.
Thanks so much Merilyn for bringing this very important topic to my attention, and I am proud to get to know you.
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