Synthesis, the Irish art of exile

Synthesis: The Irish art of exile

The Irish nation is a population of emigrants. Since the 17th century, more of 7,6 millions of Irish people have emigrated in the world but generally more in the USA to escape poverty, religious persecutions and starvation : the Great Famine between 1845 and 1852 led to the emigration of 2,3 millions of Irish people. The first document is an extract from the autobiographical novel entitled “Angela’s Ashes : A Memoir” published in 1996 by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, in which he told us what he felt and did before leaving Irish for America. The second document is a traditional Irish song entitled “The shores of Amerikay” whose author, singer and date of release are unknown. In this traditional song, an Irish person explains how he bids farewell to Ireland and why he wants to go to America. The third document is a painting entitled “The Emigrants” painted by the Scottish painter Erskine Nicol in 1864 in which he represented several Irish migrants who are waiting in a station to leave Ireland. The last document is a press article entitled “Dublin” written by the journalist John Banville and published on the New York Times the 17th December 2011. The article deals with Irish diaspora and memory. The journalist told us some memories of his emigration when he was child. Why do Irish people use art and words to express what they think and feel about their emigration ?  First of all, Irish people use art and words to explain what they feel about emigration and how they bid farewell Ireland. Afterward, they use that to denounce the reasons and the consequences of emigration along with forced emigration.

Firstly, Irish people told us their story with emigration through art because art is an efficient way to relate a story, to keep a trace from the past. Document B is a traditional Irish song, it is thus a song that most of the Irish population know. Thanks to the lyrics, many people know the story of this Irish person. It is the same with Document A. In his novel, F. McCourt explains us his story and how he is linked with the notion of emigration. Such as in the two first documents, Document C, which is a painting, illustrates the Irish emigration easily. But it is most striking than in the other documents.

Then, to use art make them possible the fact to share what they are felt when they emigrate and how they bid farewell their home country. With all the documents, we can see that make the decision to leave one’s country it is painful and depressing. In Document A and B, the two persons feel sadness and nostalgia because it is difficult to abandon our family and friends and to leave our country to never come back. It can be frightening. But even if it seems difficult, the emigrants feel hopeful : for them, America is the promise to start over. They bid farewell to Ireland with a last walk in their city like in Document A or by remembering their favourite places like in Document B. Contrary to the first two documents, Document C and D have a point of view most pessimistic because the Irish population does not always want to leave.

Indeed, some emigrations are more an exile or a forced migration than a considered decision, even if for some people, it is a dream to go elsewhere.

Sometimes, Irish artists use art and words to denounce the reasons and the consequences of emigration along with forced emigration. Document D epitomises the fact that for a huge number of Irish people, they don’t have the choice to stay in Ireland. Between 1845 and 1852, more of 2 millions of Irish died from starvation and 2 another millions were forced to leave Ireland to stay alive. With Document C, both illustrate the forced emigrations. The emigrants of Document C were forced to leave to flee English persecutions, such as the “freedom fighter” in Document D who were deported in Australia. They also explain that all the emigrations have consequences of today’s generations.

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