What I heard in Newfoundland took me right back to Ireland

Céad Míle Fáilte and welcome to your Letter from Ireland for this week, though I’m writing to you from Chicago today! We arrived in New York last Thursday morning aboard the Queen Mary 2 after an extraordinary transatlantic crossing, and now find ourselves in the Windy City, looking forward to meeting many of our local Green Room members over the coming days.

As I settle in with a cup of “morning joe” (when in America!), I’m still thinking back on the remarkable journey we’ve just completed and the surprising echoes of Ireland we discovered along the way. So, I hope you’ll join me with whatever you fancy as we explore a fascinating tale of how Irish accents and people travelled the same route as the Queen Mary centuries ago.

 

A Voyage on the world’s last transatlantic liner

The Queen Mary 2 is the world’s last remaining transatlantic liner and we decided to take her along the slow route to the USA as part of our annual break. Many things made this journey particularly special, but it was the surprise of finding that the captain of this great ship was Thomas Connery from the Hook Peninsula in County Waterford.

Each morning, Captain Connery delivered our navigation updates over the ship’s intercom, with his distinctive Waterford accent cutting through the salt air. As we sailed along Ireland’s south coast, passing close to his home waters off Waterford, I couldn’t help but reflect on the thousands who had made this exact same journey before us, though under very different circumstances and with much less comfort.

You see, Captain Connery’s ancestors, along with countless other Irish fishermen, have travelled this same route for centuries. From the 1600s onwards, fishing boats laden with fishermen from Counties Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, and Tipperary set sail for the rich fishing grounds off Newfoundland. At first, these were seasonal migrations, but as time passed, many chose to stay and settle in the area. They built homes around St. John’s and around what became known as the “Irish Loop”. They brought with them not just their fishing expertise, but their language, customs, and that same unmistakable County Waterford accent that Captain Connery carries to this day.

 

What I heard in Newfoundland took me right back to Ireland

When we visited Newfoundland back in 2017, and travelled along the Irish Loop, we were astounded to hear locals speaking with what could only be described as a County Waterford accent – not a diluted version, but the genuine article, preserved for more than three centuries.

It was as if we had stepped back in time.

The cadence, the particular way certain words were shaped, the musical rise and fall of conversation were all virtually identical to what we had just heard from Captain Connery aboard the Queen Mary 2. These Newfoundland voices carried an authentic sound of Ireland from the late 1600s and 1700s, passed down through generations like precious family heirlooms.

However, the Irish influence in Newfoundland runs far deeper than accent and speech patterns. Today, you don’t have to look far to encounter surnames that immediately give away their southeastern Irish origins: Murphy, Walsh, Ryan, Power, Comerford, along with dozens of others. Each name represents a family story, a decision made centuries ago to leave the familiar fields and harbours of Ireland for the promise of new opportunities across the Atlantic.

These weren’t the desperate famine emigrants of the 1840s, but earlier waves of Irish settlers who came as skilled fishermen and traders. They brought with them a different Ireland – one of fishing traditions, a largely Catholic faith, and strong community bonds that would prove essential for survival in their new home.

 

A Living History on the Ocean between us

Standing on the deck of the Queen Mary 2 last week, and listening to Captain Connery’s morning announcements approaching those the same fishing grounds his ancestors had worked, I was struck by the continuous thread of Irish presence on these waters. From wooden fishing boats to modern luxury liners, from seasonal workers to ship’s captains, the Irish have been writing their story on the Atlantic for more than four centuries.

The ocean that separates Ireland from north America has also served as a bridge, carrying not just people but culture, language, and identity across its vast expanse. In the preserved accents of Newfoundland’s Irish communities, we can still hear the voices of those who made that journey centuries ago.

It’s a reminder that our history isn’t confined to the island of Ireland – but echoes in unexpected places, carried by the descendants of those who had the courage to follow the fishing boats to new shores, and keep the old ways alive in a new world.

That’s it for this week’s letter. As we prepare to meet with our Green Room members, we’re reminded that the Irish story continues to unfold in communities worldwide. How about you? Have you encountered unexpected Irish connections (or accents) in your travels? I’d love to hear your comments and stories below.

Slán for now,

Mike.