NEWS

Visit Savannah has collaborated with the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience & Museum in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland to tell a complete story of the Irish people who left the country during the Great Famine and arrived at the port of Savannah. A new attraction at the Dunbrody called “Savannah Landing Point” depicts what Irish immigrants would have experienced when they arrived in Savannah in the 1840s and 1850s.

The Savannah portion of the attraction includes a tour of a period-authentic ship and reenactment experience of the difficulty of crossing the Atlantic, followed up with the life-like representation of arriving at the port of Savannah in the mid-19th century. Savannah’s long-standing Irish population can mostly trace its roots back to County Wexford Irishmen and women who fled Europe during this time with the hope of a new start. The Savannah exhibit also features videos produced by Visit Savannah and a computer monitor encouraging visitors to explore the Visit Savannah website and Insider’s Guide for more information on visiting Savannah.

Led by Visit Savannah, the exhibit was supported by an array of partners including the Savannah Economic Development Authority, the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Bonitz, and Georgia Grown, with much of the factual research provided by Georgia Southern University professor Howard Keeley. Georgia Grown provided bales of real Georgia-grown cotton for the exhibit. The Dunbrody Famine Ship is located in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland.  Learn more about the exhibit at Dunbrody.com.

Visit Savannah president Joseph Marinelli is pictured with board members Mark Spadoni and Pritpal Singh, as well as Sean Connick, CEO of the JFK Trust and Dunbrody Famine Ship.