Irish Enslavement
While there has been some historical references of Irish enslaved in colonial America the main geographical area of Irish enslavement was the Caribbean. Montserrat is one of only a handful of countries that celebrate St. Patrick's day as a national holiday. This is due to the large percentage of Irish descendants in the population. In fact, most Montserratans spoke Irish Gaelic until early 1900s. During the Cromwellian campaign in Ireland many Irish rebels and stubborn landowners and tenants were rounded up and sent to the Caribbean to work alongside African slaves on English owned plantations. Jamaica also received a sizeable proportion of Irish slaves. The Jamaican and Caribbean accents are believed to have originated from the Irish accent. It is far from uncommon to see street names with Irish surnames.
Read more about this topic: Slavery In Britain And Ireland
Famous quotes containing the words irish and/or enslavement:
“For generations, a wide range of shooting in Northern Ireland has provided all sections of the population with a pastime which ... has occupied a great deal of leisure time. Unlike many other countries, the outstanding characteristic of the sport has been that it was not confined to any one class.”
—Northern Irish Tourist Board. quoted in New Statesman (London, Aug. 29, 1969)
“Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be break-through. It is potential liberation and renewal as well as enslavement and existential death.”
—R.D. (Ronald David)