New Cork play recalls resettlement scheme that saw 2,500 people leave Ireland for Canada

Two centuries ago, more than 2,500 people, most of them from the Blackwater Valley in North Cork, left Ireland for Canada in a British government resettlement scheme.

Canadian parliamentarian Peter Robinson visited Fermoy in 1823, and met with the local Tory MP, Richard Hare, the Viscount Ennismore, to discuss an initiative to offer Irish Catholic peasants resettlement on lands stolen from Native Americans in Canada.

The following month, two ships set sail from Cobh, carrying 264 emigrants bound for Bathurst in Upper Canada. In 1825, a further nine ships left Cobh to bring 2,024 emigrants to Ontario.

Cobh

The initiative, which predated the Great Famine by two decades, saw more than 500 families from North Cork, Southeast Limerick, and the Ballyhoura region set sail from Cobh.

As part of the Ballyhoura region’s bicentennial commemoration of those settlers, CallBack theatre is presenting The Robinson Experiment, a newly commissioned play that brings to life a chapter of Irish history often overlooked. 

The production will run from September 15 to 21 at The Schoolyard Theatre, Charleville.

Written and directed by playwright John Sheehy and produced by Cora Fenton, The Robinson Experiment explores the journey of a Munster family preparing to emigrate to Canada in 1825 under the Robinson resettlement scheme.

Human experience

Rather than a historical retelling, Mr Sheehy’s script delves into the human experience — capturing the fear, hope, humour, and heartbreak of those leaving and those left behind. CallBack theatre, founded in 2001 by Mr Sheehy and Ms Fenton, has earned national acclaim for its productions. With The Robinson Experiment, the company continues its tradition of excellence, supported once again by Ballyhoura Development, whose long-standing commitment to the arts has helped bring local stories to national stages.

To book tickets, see The Robinson Experiment on Eventbrite.

The Robinson Experiment production is supported by the Leader Programme 2023–2027, Boss Murphy Foundation (via Community Foundation Ireland), and Cork County Council’s Commemoration Fund.