Benevolent Irish Society - Oral History Interviews Collection

SEPTEMBER 2020 UPDATE: CATALOGUING INFORMATION FOR THE RECORDINGS IS CURRENTLY BEING EDITED AND ENHANCED IN PREPARATION FOR A PUBLIC LAUNCH ON OCTOBER 4, 2020. *
* The launch is a free public event, but attendance will be limited, due to COVID-19 precautions: please RSVP to the BIS online, using "RSVP October launch" as the subject line, or call Paula Kenny (902-629-0340).

The collection is comprised of field recordings of oral history interviews conducted by BIS student researchers in 1982 and 1983 with elderly Irish residents of PEI.

Project Background
These recordings were digitized and provided with metadata records at the UPEI Robertson Library during the Spring and Summer of 2018, with further editing and enhancement of metadata in 2020. Financial support for this project, facilitated by the Benevolent Irish Society, was generously provided through the Government of Ireland's Emigrant Support Programme. Special acknowledgment is also due to the late Mr. George O'Connor, Past-President of the Benevolent Irish Society, whose patient-but-persistent advocacy helped bring this project to fruition. Go raibh maith agat!

Pages

: Quinn, Mary; Mary Quinn is interviewed by Anne MacAdam; she tells MacAdam about a story involving a sailor who became sick at sea and had shortly died. She also mentions in another story (ghost) how many people claimed to have seen the dead the sailor. Quinn also talks about her time as a school teacher, common Irish names and entertainment in the early days via St. Patrick’s Day, concerts and house parties.

: Steele, Maude; 020: Hughes came from Wexford, Ireland in beginning of 19th century 025: Battle of Invenhill 034: Peter Sinnott 035: T. Murphy 036: J. Hughes 038: C. McCarthy 040: A.McVarnish 042: Martin SInnott 043: Patrick Hughes 054: St. Lawrence Church was built 067: Patrick Hughes and Matthew Hughes 075: 1830’s-John Hughes and Johanna Barnes 085: 1866-owned land bought by Mr Walsh 090: Louis McGuire 099: Story about Johanna-Mrs. Steele great grandmother 123: Patrick Hughes settles on east side of Morell River and took up farming and milling 140: Patrick and Matthew supplied wood for ship-building 153: Mary Hughes married John Flynn. S.. Story about the marriage of Mary Hughes and John Flynn, also marriage of Peggy Flynn and P. Hughes. 166: Peggy Flynn and Patrick Hughes Constant background noise, voices fairly clear Interview recording drops a few times around 6.5 minutes, malfunction with recording device at the time? They both stop talking and possibly repositioning the recorder ~8:38

: Stewart, Bill; Geoff LePage interviews William “Bill” Stewart at Provincial Home for the Aged. They discuss carpentry jobs, experiences and wages, Scottish-Irish relationships and Bill’s young life. Bill tells stories about Sunday suppers, working for foremen, visiting Boston, and his job experiences along the way.

: Trainor, Joe (Joseph); Paul Stordy interviews Joseph “Joe” Trainor on the Early Days in Kinkora. He speaks about his Irish roots, the house he lived in while growing up in Kinkora and the community as a whole (structure). Joseph also talks about the introduction of the first potato, his family's tradition, early farming and the machinery used as well as his education and the teachers who taught him.