Children on the High Seas

The emigration of another group of children from the Workhouse is recorded in the Carlow Board of Guardians Minutes for 1875.

In November of that year the Master of the Workhouse reported that the Schoolmaster Mr. Geoghegan had left that morning for Queenstown. He was accompanying four children who were emigrating to America. The Master of the Workhouse had communicated with the children's relatives who would meet them on their arrival in New York. The children were named as Julia, James and John Malone aged 15, 10 and 8 years and Kate Quinn aged 12 years. Mr. Kelly, the Guardian for the Eastern Division had recommended that they be accompanied because of their young age.

The children sailed on the Steam Ship "Germanic" for the port of New York on November 12th. The Germanic" was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast. She was launched in 1874 and made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York in May 1875, for the White Star Line's, North Atlantic passenger service.

The Workhouse schoolboys were in the charge of the Master Shoemaker while Geoghegan was away. He returned from Queenstown on November 13th, 1875. When he handed the Master a receipt from the shipping agent it showed that he had placed the Malone children and Kate Quinn on board the "Germanic". There was one problem however, the cost the childrens' emigration was more than the sanctioned cost of £12 by £4.4/11. Additional costs had arisen because passage tickets had increased in price by £2 each in the space of a few months. The expenditure was also greater due to Mr. Geoghegan's travel costs to and from Queenstown, and the fact that he had to place them in the care of a responsible Officer on board the "Germanic". He had discharged his duty however and the account was paid.

There was no further account of the children's welfare or of their fears and hopes in the face of a new life in America.