Replica famine ship returns to Kerry

A replica famine ship commemorating the plight of Irish emigrants was returning to the Republic today after a ten-month journey to North America.

The Jeanie Johnston, which has sailed more than 12,000 miles since leaving Co Kerry last February, has received tens of thousands of visitors in more than 20 American ports.

The ship has had to battle her way through severe weather in the Atlantic over the past few days.

Among the 40 crew members that set sail from Ireland was a group of 15 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Although the future of the ship is unclear it is thought she could be used to bring more youngsters together.

The 150ft triple-masted vessel was built in memory of the Jeanie Johnston, which carried Irish emigrants to the United States during the nineteenth century potato famine.

The original Jeanie Johnston was built in Quebec in 1847 by Scottish-born shipbuilder John Munn.

It was bought for use as a cargo vessel but was then used to transport emigrants once the Famine took hold in Ireland.

From 1848 to 1855 it carried more than 2,500 emigrants to North America, and despite harsh conditions never lost a passenger.

Work on the replica Jeanie Johnston began in 1998 and was completed in 2002 in Co Kerry. The actual cost of the Government-funded project has run to €13.6m, about four times the original estimate.