Explore the full collection of presentations from the Peter Robinson Settlers Emigration Scheme Conference, Ballyhoura Development CLG, hosted at Saint George’s Arts and Heritage Centre, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, on Saturday 20th September 2025. It was attended by the Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin and the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, Dennis King who flank Amanda Slattery, Ballyhoura Development in the photograph.
This archive brings together talks from historians, researchers and guest speakers, offering insights into the stories, legacies, and heritage of the Peter Robinson emigration scheme.
Tracing Roots: Unveiling the Legacy of Ballyhoura Families in Canada:
2025 is the 200 year anniversary of the Peter Robinson Settlers Emigration scheme. Ballyhoura Development has identified the families who left the region almost 200 years ago to Ontario and the Ottawa Valley in Canada. This is based upon the records of the scheme maintained by Peter Robinson. The names on the passenger list show that there was a total of nearly five hundred families and unattached adults in the scheme. The records list the passengers on each ship under family headings and give ages, occupations and former residences. There is also a ‘remarks’ column where each supporting landlord is named, and where in many cases comments are recorded on the disposition of the adults, deaths occurring during the voyage, and other comments, written by Robinson. In 1823 and 1825 11 ships, the Hebe and the Stakesby in 1823 & Fortitude, Resolution, Albion, Brunswick, Star, Amity, Regulus, Elizabeth and John Barry in 1825 set sail from Cobh, Co Cork with over 500 nuclear families on board from Munster to a new life in the Ottawa Valley and Ontario in Canada.
As part of this project John Tierney surveyed St. Joseph Cemetery in Douro, Ontario, Canada this summer and presented a paper titled Bridging the Atlantic: The Peter Robinson Settlers as a case study for the grassroots chronicling of the Irish Diaspora, at the conference which can be viewed via the link below.
