Human remains discovered in Quebec’s Gaspe region in 2011 and 2016 were those of Irish immigrants who died in a shipwreck in 1847 after fleeing famine, Parks Canada has confirmed.

The government agency said the bones of three individuals between the ages of seven and 12 washed up on a beach at Cap-des-Rosiers in Forillion National Park in 2011 following a violent storm. Five years later, Parks Canada workers carried about a preventative archeological dig at Cap-des-Rosiers and found the remains of 18 more individuals, mostly women and children.

Historians theorized the remains were from the Carricks shipwreck in 1847. The ship carrying 180 passengers from Sligo, Ireland sank off the coast of Cap-des-Rosiers before it was able to reach its final destination of the Port of Quebec. Between 120 and 150 people died when the ship sank, according to historical records. Only 48 people survived.

Researchers analyzed the human remains in the bioarcheology laboratory at the University of Montreal and confirmed they were indeed from the shipwreck. They did this by accounting for the location where the bones were discovered and the context of their burial, which were buried on the beach.

The academics also determined the individuals followed a diet that was characteristic of rural populations dependent on agriculture at the time, in this case, potatoes. This aligns with historical records of the typical diet of the population of Ireland in the first half of the 19th century.

The tests also revealed the shipwrecked people were suffering from diseases most likely caused by malnutrition, which would be consistent with the Great Famine in Ireland during that time.

“During the Great Famine of Ireland in 1847, Canada became the home of many Irish immigrants,” Diane Lebouthillier, MP for Gaspesie — Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine, said in a statement. “The tragic events of the Carricks shipwreck are a startling reminder of just how difficult the journey was for the travellers and that not everybody was lucky enough to reach their new home.”

After consulting with the residents of Cap-des-Rosiers and members of the Irish community, Parks Canada said the human remains of the 21 passengers would be buried near the Irish Memorial on Cap-des-Rosiers Beach at a ceremony in the summer. The monument was erected in 1900 in memory of the shipwrecked passengers.

“Today's announcement is very significant for Irish families whose ancestors were Carricks passengers. This shipwreck reflects an important part of Canadian history,” Lebouthillier said. </s> THE REMAINS of three bodies were found washed up on a Canadian beach back in 2011, and on the same beach in 2016, the remains of a further 18 bodies were discovered after an archeological dig.

Canadian scientists have now confirmed that a study of the bones show that these are the remains of Irish famine victims who fled across the Atlantic in the mid 1800s.

The initial remains that were discovered in 2011 on a beach in Forillon National Park, Quebec, were identified as two seven-year-old boys and an 11-year-old boy.

Their bones indicated severe malnutrition according to scientists.

After the dig in 2016 found evidence of 18 more bodies, most of whom were women and children, all of which were showing signs of malnutrition, it was speculated that they were passengers from the 1847 Carricks shipwreck.

The ship, carrying 180 people fleeing the Potato Famine, sailed from Sligo to Quebec and was under the command of Captain R. Thompson.

On April 28 1847, the ship ran into a heavy storm in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and was wrecked around 4 miles east of the Canadian coast.

It’s estimated that between 120 and 150 people died as a result, and those who survived had extremely plucky local fisherman to thank, who braved the storm, rowing out to save them.

After the remains found on the beach were sent to Montreal University for analysis, it’s now confirmed that they are of Irish victims of the Carricks shipwreck.

Mathieu Cote, a resource conservation manager at Forillon National Park said: “This is like the end of the story for people who were interested in this.”

“We were suspicious of where [the remains] were from, and we had a good idea, but now we have evidence that those people were from Ireland.

Around 100,000 people fled Ireland for Canada in 1847 alone, and around 20,000 of those either died during the voyage or during their time spent in quarantine stations. </s> Archaeologists have continued to examine the 1847 Carricks shipwreck at Cap-Des-Rosiers beach in Quebec PARKS CANADA

Human bones washed up on a Canadian beach eight years ago are the remains of three Irish children who were fleeing the Great Hunger, scientists have confirmed. The victims were two seven-year-old boys and another boy aged 11.

The bones of another 18 individuals unearthed during a beach restoration in 2016 are the remains of shipwrecked Irish famine victims who had sailed from Co Sligo in March 1847.

The scientific discovery confirms a long-held belief locally that the bones that came ashore at Forillon national park in Quebec were the remains of passengers on board the Carricks ship when it sank during a violent storm off Cap-des-Rosiers in Gaspé.

The ship had left Ireland for Canada with 180 passengers, mostly former tenants of Lord Palmerston,… </s> Bones found washed up on a beach in Quebec in 2011 and 2016 are those of Irish Famine victims, Canadian scientists have determined.

Scientists have confirmed a long-held theory of locals that the human remains of 21 individuals, unearthed over a five-year period, are from an 1847 Carricks shipwreck.

The ship left Sligo carrying 180 passengers fleeing the Famine, but it sank off the coast of Cap-des-Rosiers in Gaspe killing at least 150 of those on board.

Skeletal remains of three boys - two aged seven and one eleven-year-old - suggest rural Irish origins based on diet and indicate severe malnutrition.

Parks Canada conservation manager Mathieu Cote said: “This is like the end of the story for people who were interested in this.

“We were suspicious of where [the remains] were from, and we had a good idea where they were from, but now we have evidence that those people were from Ireland.

“They were old bones, and they were very fragile,” Cote said, adding that 160 years of saltwater exposure worsened their condition.

Analysis showed that the bones belonged to people whose diets were typical of a rural population dependent on agriculture - specifically potatoes - and low in protein.

Scientists said chronic health problems such as malnutrition were also evident.

Most of the Black 47 wreck’s survivors continued on to Quebec City and Montreal, but some stayed in the area.

There is a mass grave of shipwreck victims on the beach.

It is estimated that 100,000 fleeing famine victims set out for Canada in 1847 alone and that 20,000 died on the voyage or at the quarantine station at Grosse Isle. </s> MONTREAL — Parks Canada has confirmed that human remains found in Quebec's Gaspé region in 2011 and 2016 are those of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine who died in an 1847 shipwreck.

The federal department said the bones from 21 skeletons discovered on the beach in Cap-des-Rosiers in recent years belong to victims from the Carricks of Whitehaven.

The Irish ship sank during a storm off the Gaspé coast while on its way to Quebec City.

An analysis by scientists at the Université de Montréal showed the deceased had followed a diet typical of Irish rural people, and many had suffered from diseases and malnutrition that were most likely caused by the famine.

Filmmaker Viveka Melki, who made a documentary about the shipwreck, said the discovery confirms what local residents have long known to be true.

As part of her research, Melki spoke to descendents of the shipwreck's survivors and discovered an obituary for a priest that tells the story of a mass grave dug on the beach and a shore strewn with bodies.

She said she hopes the residents find closure with the announcement and an upcoming ceremony to bury the bones near the Irish memorial on Cap-des-Rosiers Beach this summer.

The ship's bell was found in 1966 some distance away in Blanc-Sablon and is mounted next to the Carricks Monument.

Of the 187 passengers on board, 87 perished at sea and 100 survivors were taken in by families in the village. </s> The Government is set to liaise with Canadian authorities after scientists there linked discovered human remains with an Irish famine shipwreck.

The Government is set to liaise with Canadian authorities after scientists there linked discovered human remains with an Irish famine shipwreck.

Minister to liaise with Canadian officials after scientists link human remains with Irish famine shipwreck

Minister for Culture Josepha Madigan said that she will make contact with authorities in Quebec, where the remains of 21 individuals were discovered over a five-year period.

The bones, which were discovered between 2011 and 2016, were analysed and have now been positively identified as belonging to victims of the 1847 Carricks shipwreck, where 150 passengers lost their lives.

Ms Madigan said that the new discovery brings to light the pain and suffering that Irish people faced during the Great Famine, which spanned from 1845 to 1851.

"This is a very poignant reminder, a matter of weeks after our annual famine commemoration in Sligo, of the horror and abject suffering of that time and of the fate that awaited some of those trying to escape from it," the minister told Independent.ie.

"I have asked my officials to liaise with their colleagues in Parks Canada on this discovery, to see in the context of our recent international twinning, what appropriate memorial and mark of respect can be organised."

Locals in Gaspé, Quebec have long-held the theory that the remains were linked to the Irish famine after the bones of three children washed up on shore in 2011, after a harsh storm.

In the five years that followed, the human remains of a further 18 individuals washed up.

The remains have now been linked to the 1847 Carricks shipwreck, which saw a ship embarking from Sligo and carrying 180 passengers sink off the coast of Cap-des-Rosiers in Gaspé.

It is believed that around 120 to 150 of the famine-fleeing passengers died in the shipwreck, while forty-eight people survived. Of those who lost their lives, 87 bodies have been found.

Scientists at the Montreal University identified their origins by using samples of the bones to determine their chemical composition.

The analysis revealed that the remains belonged to people with chronic health problems like malnutrition. Their diets, low in protein, suggested a rural population dependent on agriculture, specifically potatoes.

In a statement, Diane Lebouthillier, MP for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, mirrored the sentiment of Ms Madigan, while paying homage to the significance the period had in Canadian history.

"The tragic events of the Carricks shipwreck are a startling reminder of just how difficult the journey was for the travellers and that not everybody was lucky enough to reach their new home.

"Today's announcement is very significant for Irish families whose ancestors were Carricks passengers. This shipwreck reflects an important part of Canadian history."

DNA analysis was impossible because of the conditions of the bones, and only about 1pc of the individual skeletons were located. Scientists could reveal however that most of the bones belonged to women and children.

The remains will be removed to Forillon National Park, in the coming weeks, where a funeral service will be held.

A burial will take place near Cap-des-Rosiers Beach where an Irish Memorial was built in 1990 to remember those who died in the shipwreck. </s> MONTREAL — Human remains found in Quebec’s Gaspe region in 2011 and 2016 are those of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine who died in an 1847 shipwreck, according to Parks Canada.

The federal department confirmed the longstanding hypothesis that the bones from 21 skeletons discovered on the beach in Cap-des-Rosiers in recent years belong to victims from the Carricks of Whitehaven, an Irish ship that sank during a storm off the Gaspe coast while on its way to Quebec City over 170 years ago.

The bones of three children between the ages of seven and 12 washed up on the beach during a storm in 2011, Parks Canada said. In 2016, the department carried out an archaeological dig that found remains of 18 more people — which matched historical accounts of a mass grave on the beach.

An analysis by scientists at the Universite de Montreal found the deceased had followed a diet typical of Irish rural people, and many had suffered from diseases and malnutrition that were most likely caused by the famine.

Viveka Melki, who made a documentary about the shipwreck, said the discovery only confirms what local residents have long known to be true.

“They’ve known it, passed down from great-grandmothers to grandmothers,” Melki said in a phone interview from Cuba, where she’s working on her next film.

“They knew the story, whether I came into that story, whether Parks Canada came in and dug that up and found it, they were sure of the story.”

As part of her research, Melki spoke to descendents of the shipwreck’s survivors and discovered an obituary for a priest that tells the story of a mass grave dug on the beach and a shore strewn with bodies.

Some of the skeletons that were unearthed were found holding their children in their arms, she said.

Melki, who explores resilience and trauma in her films, said she was struck by how the shipwreck’s descendants are still haunted by the story.

“Whether it’s in our DNA in the bones, or our DNA as a person, it’s something that passes down, and we have to acknowledge it, acknowledge that this story isn’t finished,” she said, adding that she believes the announcement will bring closure for the residents.

The Carricks was one of many ships that carried the hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants who came to Canada fleeing poverty and starvation in 1847 to 1848.

According to Parks Canada, the ship carrying 180 passengers had departed from Sligo, Ireland and was headed to the Port of Quebec when it sank off the coast of Cap-des-Rosiers, killing all but 48 passengers.

Diane Lebouthillier, the area’s MP, said the shipwreck is a stark symbol of the sacrifices many Irish immigrants made in their perilous journey to Canada.

“The tragic events of the Carricks shipwreck are a startling reminder of just how difficult the journey was for the travellers and that not everybody was lucky enough to reach their new home,” she said.

Parks Canada said the remains will be buried near the Irish Memorial on Cap-des-Rosiers Beach at a ceremony to be held in the summer, in accordance with the community’s wishes. </s> Parks Canada has confirmed that human remains found in Quebec’s Gaspé region in 2011 and 2016 are those of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine who died in an 1847 shipwreck.

The federal department says the bones from 21 skeletons discovered on the beach in Cap-des-Rosiers in recent years belong to victims from the Carricks of Whitehaven, an Irish ship that sank during a storm off the Gaspé coast while on its way to Quebec City over 170 years ago.

READ MORE: Diver explores shipwreck in Ontario lake despite sub-zero temperatures

An analysis by scientists at the Université de Montréal showed the deceased had followed a diet typical of Irish rural people, and many had suffered from diseases and malnutrition that were most likely caused by the famine.

Filmmaker Viveka Melki, who made a documentary about the shipwreck, says the discovery confirms what local residents have long known to be true.

READ MORE: Pieces of 19th century ship washed up on English beach could have Nova Scotian connection

As part of her research, Melki spoke to descendents of the shipwreck’s survivors and discovered an obituary for a priest that tells the story of a mass grave dug on the beach and a shore strewn with bodies.

She says she hopes the residents find closure with the announcement and an upcoming ceremony to bury the bones near the Irish memorial on Cap-des-Rosiers Beach this summer. </s> Image copyright Geograph/ Gareth James Image caption Dublin statues commemorating the Great Famine in which around one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland

Remains washed up on a Canadian beach belonged to shipwreck victims lost at sea while fleeing the Irish Famine, the Canadian government has confirmed.

The bones of three children washed up on a beach at Cap-des-Rosiers following a storm in 2011.

The remains of 18 others, mostly women and children, were uncovered by archaeologists on the beach in 2016.

Experts have now said the remains were from the 1847 Carricks ship from County Sligo.

Scientists said that that the location of the remains, combined with laboratory analysis, confirmed the theory that they were from the Carricks shipwreck.

The famine killed more than a million Irish people and forced about a million more to emigrate after blight devastated the potato crop.

The Carricks ship was carrying 180 emigrants when it sank off the coast of Cap-des-Rosiers en route to the Port of Quebec.

Only 48 people survived the accident and, according to historical accounts, 87 bodies recovered from the shipwreck were buried on the beach.

Parks Canada said analysis carried out by the bioarcheology laboratory at Montreal University indicated the 21 individuals found had followed a rural diet mostly based on potatoes, and suffered from diseases associated with malnutrition.

Image copyright Google Image caption Cap-des-Rosiers beach in Quebec where the remains from the Carricks ship were discovered

The human remains will be buried near the Irish Memorial on Cap-des-Rosiers beach at a ceremony this summer.

The memorial was built in 1900 in memory of the lost passengers of the Carricks shipwreck, and features the ship's bell which was found in 1968 on a beach on Quebec's north shore.

Canada's National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier said the discovery was "very significant for Irish families whose ancestors were Carricks passengers".

'Emotional and sensitive'

"During the Great Famine of Ireland in 1847, Canada became the home of many Irish immigrants," she said.

"The tragic events of the Carricks shipwreck are a startling reminder of just how difficult the journey was for the travellers and that not everybody was lucky enough to reach their new home.

"This shipwreck reflects an important part of Canadian history."

Speaking to the CBC, Isabelle Ribot, associate professor of bioarchaeology at Montreal University, said the discovery was in keeping with local oral history, which suggested there was a mass grave of shipwreck victims on the beach.

"Our skeletons reflect what we eat," she said, adding that the bones found belonged to people who had suffered chronic health problems likely caused by the famine in Ireland.

"Knowing the context and knowing there are descendants of the people who survived, it is very emotional and very sensitive," she said.

"We are very blessed to have been able to analyze them and extract as much information as we can."
Human remains found at a beach near the Port of Quebec in 2011 and 2016 are identified as those of 21 shipwreck victims, who drowned in 1847 while fleeing the Irish Great Famine.