Famine Ship Still Stuck In Ireland Plans to sail a replica of an
Irish famine-era ship across the Atlantic have been abandoned
for the second year running because the vessel is still not
seaworthy. The decision to call off plans to sail the "Jeanie
Johnston" to North America this year was taken at a board
meeting of the project organizers after a marine expert reported
the vessel would not be ready in time. The ship was originally
due to sail from Tralee on Ireland's southwest coast in May last
year, but the voyage was postponed until 2001 because of delays
in fitting out the three-masted barque. The project has so far
cost around 10 million Irish pounds ($10.96 million), and has
been supported by the Irish government, European Union and
private donations. The original "Jeanie Johnston" carried
thousands of Irish emigrants from their famine-stricken homeland
to a new life in North America in the 1840s and 1850s, famously
never losing a passenger to disease or the sea in 16 voyages.
The period was one of mass