There are 15 new banners hanging from lamp posts on George Street in downtown Peterborough for the bicentennial of the Peter Robinson emigration of Irish settlers to the Peterborough region.
The non-profit organization Nine Ships 1825 Inc., in partnership with the Peterborough Historical Society and with funding from the Peterborough Foundation, has installed the banners to promote bicentennial events that will be taking place from August 1 to 10, during which the Civic Holiday — long recognized as Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough — falls.
“We’re expecting people from all over the world,” said Maureen Crowley, Nine Ships 1825 board member and secretary, in an interview with kawarthaNOW. “We’ve had interest already from the United States and from Ireland.”
Events planned so far during August include a walking tour on Friday, August 1 hosted by Elwood Jones of Trent Valley Archives, a “Grand Irish Gathering” on Saturday, August 2 at The Canadian Canoe Museum, and a week-long Bicentennial Heritage Fair at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 317 Hunter Street West. In addition, 4th Line Theatre will present the world premiere of Megan Murphy’s play Wild Irish Geese about the Peter Robinson emigration from July 29 to August 30 at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.
Nine Ships 1825 was formed to coordinate and promote all the local Irish-related heritage, historical, and community groups that are planning events during the bicentennial year. The organization’s name refers to the nine ships that carried the Irish settlers across the Atlantic in 1825 under an emigration plan led by Upper Canada politician Peter Robinson.
As well as promoting the bicentennial events taking place from August 1 to 10, the lamp post banners on George Street in downtown Peterborough also highlight each of the nine ships that carried 2,024 Irish men, women, and children to Canada: the Fortitude, Brunswick, Regulus, Resolution, Star, Elizabeth, Albion, Amity, and John Barry.
“The Peterborough Foundation is proud to fund these banners which highlight such a significant part of the history of our community,” says Peterborough Foundation chair Nancy Martin in a media release.
To learn more about the Peter Robinson emigration bicentennial, members of the public can attend a meeting of the Millbrook and Cavan Historical Society meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 at the Millbrook Legion (9 King St. E., Millbrook), where members of Nine Ships 1825 will give a presentation.
Cultural resource manager and historian Dennis Carter-Edwards will speak to the significance of the emigration, outline the journey, and highlight the resources available to learn more. Crowley, a past president of the Peterborough Canadian Irish Club, and former Selwyn Township mayor Mary Smith will speak about previous commemorations of the emigration, describe how Nine Ships 1825 was formed, and share the events planned during 2025.
More information about Nine Ships 1825, the Peter Robinson emigration, and events planned during the bicentennial is available at nineships1825.com.
With files from Paul Rellinger.
