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Government to help Irish in Barbados?
By Noreen Bowden | January 29, 2010
Will the Irish government come to the assistance of the so-called “Red Legs”, the descendents of Irish (as well as English and Scottish) people transported 400 years ago to Barbados to act as slaves? As many as 50,000 Irish people were transported to Barbados as slaves and indentured servants during Cromwell’s time; the community that survives numbers about 400, and suffers from poverty and ill health.
Their plight was the focus of a written question in the Dail, which has appeared on KildareStreet.com. The Q and A is below. In it, Minister Martin notes that Irish Abroad Unit officials have met with representatives of the community, and expresses and openness to funding projects as part of the normal emigrant support funding round.
This kind of outreach is yet another sign of the Irish government’s innovative commitment to strengthening and developing its relationship with the Irish diaspora. How many countries are working to re-establish relationships like this one between Ireland and this small community, which was so cruelly severed four centuries ago?
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Question 674: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has assisted the Redleg people of Irish slave decent in Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada and other Caribbean states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1475/10]
Micheál Martin (Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs; Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
The Irish Abroad Unit within my Department maintains a keen interest in all aspects of the Irish experience of emigration, both forced and voluntary, and has active programmes aimed at strengthening our links with Irish communities overseas; including in the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, Europe and Asia.
While we have no active programme in the Caribbean at present, officials from the Irish Abroad Unit have held a number of exploratory meetings since 2008 with representatives of the descendents of those Irish people who were deported by Oliver Cromwell to Barbados in the 17th Century. During these discussions, the group were encouraged to maintain contact with the Government and to reflect further on the most appropriate way to recognise this unique community within the Irish Diaspora.
Representatives of the community are welcome to submit an application for funding under the Emigrant Support Programme when the 2010 grant round is launched in March by my Department.
It was, presumably, a recent TG4 programme that highlighted the plight of this deprived outpost of the Irish diaspora and prompted Mr Varadkar’s question. The Irish Times also has a great article on this community.
Related websites:
- Moondance Productions: To Hell or Barbados
- Irish Times: Remnants of an indentured people
- Barbados Underground: Red Legs in Barbados
- To Hell or Barbados: The Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland by Sean Callaghan
- Damien Dempsey: To Hell or Barbados
Topics: Irish Abroad Unit, Latest News | 13 Comments »
March 14th, 2010 at 6:07 am
Is there a fund anywhere that can be donated to? I am second generation American. My grandmother is from Derry.
March 14th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
The term ‘slave’ to refer to white indentured servants sent to Barbados is one that is loaded with problems for any Irish entity trying to deal with Caribbean entities. It might be more useful to use the term ‘unfree’ to refer to this group. Just a suggestion.
March 15th, 2010 at 1:21 am
Thank you, Annalise – I will definitely keep that in mind in the future.
Carol, I’m not aware of any fund but I’ll let you know if I can dig anything up.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Hi all,
Does anyone know of any groups currently working with this community in Barbados ?
MD
January 26th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
[…] to the early mainland colonies), and predominantly as slaves. I was reminded of a TG4 documentary (To Hell or to Barbados) which interviewed some of the ancestors of this early diaspora who, unlike their wealthy northern […]
February 6th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
On a recent visit in search of links to the Archer family of the Archer Masion, High St., Kilkenny I did some research at the Barbados Museum. I was disappointed to find no reference to the poor whites of today, the white slaves of the 1600s, the Irish genetic pool etc. One got the impression that the locals do not really want to know or announce the Irish story (or indeed that of the poor Scottish, Welsh or English antecedants)to any degree. And yet, the impact of the Western European gene on the appearance of the population is notable. Many of the local Afro-Caribbean people have quite Celtic features. Many creole admit to their Irish ancestry when questioned. And many express a desire to visit Ireland. Indeed, some surfers have considered emigrating to Ireland. The beauty of the people of the West Indies stems in some measure from their Celtic past. That’s something to treasure – even if the ‘Nation of Africa’ has more interest in them. It might be argued that, though separated within the same Gulf Stream waters, the Western European Islands are really the Eastern West Indies. Certainly, any Irish can feel at home there and the people of Barbados considered our Celtic brothers. It seems as though the many Archers of Barbados are of English extraction. However, whilst ‘To Hell or to Connaught’ certainly happened to the Kilkenny Archers, To Hell or the Barbados’ seems likely also. Especially since a notable pirate of the Caribbean carried the name of the wife of John Rothe, Rothe House, Kilkenny 1650s – Rose Archer; i.e. he was John Rose Archer. Go check out Barbados and nurture the Irish Barbados link. The lack of apparent interest in their Irish history may reflect a local sense of abandonment? But, maybe I’m wrong. Michael Conway
February 6th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Typo – Archer Mansion
June 13th, 2011 at 1:08 am
I don’t agree with Annalise. These people were considered slaves and no matter what term was used, they were all treated badly. Slavery has existed throughout time and does not depend purely on the color of one’s skin.
One should not be ashamed of one’s history. We should be proud of these people and honour their courage. We should also be proud that as a nation, we did not profit from the misery of others.
August 23rd, 2012 at 5:11 pm
My understanding of history is that almost all of the Irish Gaels transported during Cromwell’s time were slaves, not indentured servants. The expression “To Hell or Connauoght” was directed to the old English Catholics who were being displaced from their estates in the north of Ireland to the rocky west of Ireland. When Irish Gaels were caputed in the north during Cromwell’s time, the choice was often death or transport as a slave. It was sometime after the Great Slave Rebellion in the Carribean that contracts began available to Irish Gaels to become indentured servants.
November 6th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
What a load of rubbish! The “white” population here in Barbados’s “white” population ia almost entirely from England, Scottland, Whales and Ireland and yes we have been here for 400 years. I can prove through my ancesstry tree that I have all four so if you want to help out the descendents of the Irish you have to help all the poor country people, not just the “white” ones, but ‘red legs’ come in all colours these days … and I am a descendent of ‘red legs’ too and my beautiful daughter … and my brothers and cousins and their kids … and many other people I know, so be fair you will have to make sure you pay us all. There are poor black people who live all over the island who have Irish ancesstry … I hope the Government of Ireland does not plan to be racist! Hey … Rihanna’s father is a ‘red leg’ I hope you pay her too!!
November 7th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
The white community in Barbados settled along the east coast of the island as this area was not suitable for agriculture, they fished and had live stock, many in the parishes of St John and St Philip. St John is rual still and many call it the forgotten parish ‘behind God’s back”. The poeple there don’t seem to mind as they consistantly re-elect the same political party there since independence and they win by a land-slide every time. If the Irish Gov wanted to make a donation, I would suggest that they make it the Government to be used to assist the community of St John. The use of the word ‘Red legs’ is insulting, and is irrelevant as most of the people today are mixed race and the so called ‘white’ community of this island are well educated middle class people, and a large portion of the business sector in the island is owned by the descendents of the “Red legs”. Using the term Red leg makes me think that they plan to go into the St John rum shops and fine the last poor 10 old ‘white’ men or women they can find and give them some money. I can appreciate the offer, but they approach is wrong and quite offensive!
November 7th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Out of the frying pan…
Seriously though, some people do care, and trying to help is better than talking about it.
Why not just start your own charity and spend a few hours a week collecting for it, it could take off.
Brian
February 11th, 2015 at 8:13 pm
I read Sean Connaught’s book “To Hell or Barbados,” and it made my blood boil.Help those people.