Roots
Mary Robinson,
former President of Ireland, described people of Irish descent throughout
the world as being the "Irish of the Diaspora." This phrase
recognises the right of the descendants of our people to regard
themselves as truly Irish.
The forced emigration of the 19th century decimated our
countryside. The population of Emly in 1841 was 4,400.
As we end the 20th century our population is less than
1000.
Emigration has been part of our history. The people who left
brought Emly with them. Its name is remembered by their families.
Its name appeared on many a tombstone and death notice in the English
speaking world.
In recent years there has been a great upsurge of interest in the
tracing of Irish roots. This has also been reflected in the
number of enquiries coming to Emly.
WHERE to BEGIN: Were your folk from Emly? This
is where you should begin. The parish records of the last
century were relatively well kept. They date back to 1809.
We are also lucky to have our history well researched. If
you wish to get in touch, do so and we will try to help or point
you in the right direction. But please be patient.
EMIGRANT WALL: This wall was erected in August
2000 and honours the memory of those who were forced to leave our
parish. The names of emigrants have been recorded on stone as a
memorial to our people who made a new life for themselves far from
Emly.
Families with roots in Emly are invited to have
the names of their ancestors inscribed on this memorial stone. Each
inscription entry will have a maximum of 40 characters (incl. spaces.)
Charge per entry £150 (Ir) or $200 (U.S.) The families
of our emigrants will always get a special welcome in Emly.