Dunbrody Famine Ship                            
We went for our school trip to the Dunbrody Famine Ship. This present Dunbrody Ship is a replica ship.It was built in New Ross. They began in 1993 & finished in 2001(the original Dunbrody was built in Canada in 1845). The present ship weighs 440 tonnes. On top is the deck on it there is  a steering wheel at the bow of the ship. There are  three doors which led down  steep stairs to the hold.
.  There were the first class cabins. Rich emigrants lived there. They had good rations of salted meat, ships biscuits and enough ale or water.Also there were the  steerage quarters . Steerage  passangers fared worse. 20 of them had half an hour to cook their rations which was meal and ships biscuits. They had no meat or ale. They lived in a bunk and there were about twelve people in each bunk with one bucket to use as a toliet between them. Most of the steerage managed to buy a ticket because the landlord paid for them.     
Down in the hold  was also where the supplies were kept. There was salted pork, salted meat, whisky and beer all in barrels. They also had ship bicuits and grain. These were the ships rations and the food was given out each day.
The crew of the ship had fairly good quarters. They had one person to a bunk and they got the better food. The captain had his own private cabin. on the way back to Ireland the Dunbrody carried cargo
Luckily the captain of the Dunbrody was a good, kind, fair man and looked after his passengers. He didn't take more passengers than he was allowed (though many other captains did!) so this this increased the hopes of survival on the long journey which usually lasted 6-8 weeks.
Steerage passeners were allowed up on deck for 30 minutes to do their cooking in twenties. They usually got bread, meal, biscuits & water. With so many people crammed together, diease spread easily and if someone died their body was wrapped in cloths and weighed down with stones and thrown overboard.First Class passengers were lucky enough to get meat & ale. The journey took six weeks before they finally docked in Boston harbour. When they all arrived, they had to scrub the quarters & all the bedding was bundled up & then thrown overboard. The reason this was done was because they didn't want the next passengers to catch diseases.
After our visit we were interviewed by South East Radio  about what we thought  of the Dunbrody.This interview was broadcast  in June.

                         Pupils enjoying period acting in the hold of the Dunbrody 
By 4th 5th & 6th Classes at St. Saviour's N.S.
Star Ratings:
We surveyed the pupils to see what they thought  of our trip.
Interesting place for School Trip  
Value for money                        
Tour Guide's Ability                
Child Friendly exhibits                  
Shop                                            
How real things seemed            

Surveyed by Senior classes at St. Saviour's N.S.