| A new book "Mayo: History & Society" was released on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the National Museum of Ireland in Castlebar, County Mayo. The book comprises a series of narratives delivered through the diverse perspectives of a range of academics and local historians. Christine Kinealy, professor of history and director of Ireland's Great Hunger Institute, contributed a chapter entitled, Polish Count in County Mayo. Paul de Strzelecki and the Great Famine. On January 11, 2015, Dr Christine Kinealy was interviewed by Adrain Flannelly of the Irish Radio Network USA, about her chapter in the book.
Adrian Flannelly
Friends you’re listening to Irish Radio Network USA, as we travel to Quinnipiac University in Hamden Connecticut. We are delighted to welcome again, Dr Christine Kinealy, Professor of History, world renowned author on the Irish famine, and we are happy to of course claim her as the historian for Irish Radio Network as well, Christine you’re very welcome
Christine Kinealy
Thank you. Thank you. It’s great to be here.
Adrian Flannelly
You’re recently, your most recent travels to Ireland brought you very much to the west of Ireland (...) Now do each of the books, the county books, Mayo being the twenty second, do each of them incorporate – is there a special emphasis on the famine period?
Christine Kinealy[]
No , there really isn’t so because they try and cover the whole sweep of Irish history. In the Mayo volume there is only one chapter on the famine which is by myself and then one at the end which is Gerry Moran. Gerard Moran has a chapter on post famine emigration. But again it tries to give the whole sweep of Irish history.
Adrian Flannelly
Let me ask you about your chapter in the - in the most recent book and the title I think bears repeating because I didn’t get it the first time, myself.
Christine Kinealy
It is, its sort of a slightly mysterious title it’s like “A Polish Count in County Mayo: Paul de Strzelecki and the Great Famine” and it’s so mysterious but I think it’s an important chapter because in it I look at the work of one man who went to Ireland during the great famine and really did so much to give relief, and yet he is a man who has very little recognition. I am trying to get him more recognition. I think there should be a statue to this man in County Mayo. He is an incredible man. I am very happy to tell you more about him if you want to know.
Adrian Flannelly
Ah, ha, I definitely want to know. Who - where did he, as we might say in County Mayo, where did he come out of?
Christine Kinealy
Where did he come out of? He came out of Poland at the end of the 18th century and he had the title ‘count’. His family was sort of well off, but Poland at that time was really under Prussian rule, which many Polish people didn’t like. And it’s very similar to Ireland in so many ways. And in 1830 there was a rebellion to try and win Polish independence. It was not successful, and at this stage Paul de Strzelecki decided to leave Poland. He moved to London, and there he became a famous scientist and he decided he was also an explorer; he went in the 1840’s to Australia. And he spent two years in Australia. He was the first person that we know of, to climb the highest mountain in Australia; he was the first person that we know of, to discover gold in Australia and there are many, many places in Australia named after him. He came back to England and he made London his home. And he heard of the famine. And in 1846 there was an Association formed in London called the British Relief Association. It was actually formed by a Jewish banker, Lionel de Rothschild, and they decided they wanted to send money to Ireland from all parts of the world. And Strzelecki heard about this organisation and he went and offered his services for free. They accepted him, and this is January 1847, and they asked would he go to the west of Ireland, and in particular to County Mayo. So he set – the next day he set forth and went to County Mayo. He decided to make Westport his base in Mayo. He decided on what was happening in Ireland. And, we know that the winter of 1846/47 was the coldest on record for a hundred years.
And he writes that during the journey his carriage couldn’t get through that mountain because of the snow. He just got off his carriage and he walked to his destination; he was so determined to get there; that he sent letters back and just the compassion, of, that he had towards the Irish poor, especially towards children, it’s just so, so obvious. He is just an incredible, incredible man. I think what makes him incredible is he had a vision that children were always the most vulnerable, he thought during the famine, so he decided that for each child that went to school would get a free meal every day and a free suit of clothing and the scheme started in Westport. It spread throughout Mayo and then it spread throughout the whole of the west of Ireland.
And in 1848 he was feeding through this scheme, 200 thousand school children, every day. So it’s just unbelievable what he did and how many lives he saved. The sad thing is his organisation ran out of money in 1848. He asked the British government would they continue to fund the scheme; they agreed, but then Charles Trevelyan of the Treasury stepped in and said this wasn’t possible. So the scheme came to an end in 1848.
LARGE PORTION OF THE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE HERE
Prof.Kinealy about Strzelecki - klick here & listen
Video Interview here
Read about Great Hunger in County Mayo
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