MARCH 2008

Maritime Series on ICR

A new radio series will air on Inishowen Community Radio beginning Tuesday 25th March at 4pm, and each Thursday and Tuesday thereafter at 4pm until 8th May. The series which will be exploring the links between Irish and Canadian Maritime traditions, was lunched on 19th March when former Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, Michael Philips and his wife Oonagh attended a reception along with contributors to the series, Hazel McIntyre and Dr. Liz Doherty.

The series consists of fourteen 30 minute programmes examining the cultural ties between the traditions of the Maritime Provinces in Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) and Irish traditions. Music, Song, Dance and Literature is examined and compared and how influences from both sides affected the tradition in the past and as it is today.

The idea for the series was first mooted when a delegation from Inishowen Rural Development and members from Inishowen Community Radio travelled to the Mirimichi area of New Brunswick in the Maritime provinces some time ago on a cultural exchange and a reciprocal visit by a delegation from there to Inishowen the following year. It was presumed that a strong bond would still exist as many thousands from Ireland emigrated and settled in that area before and after the great hungers of the mid nineteenth century. It was felt that a strong Irish connection would exist as early research shows that the North West of Ireland sent many on the immigration ships from Derry and Sligo to ports like Halifax and St. John's.

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