In the Wake

Carbury Water Gardens, Camac River, Co. Dublin (1996)

Floating installation is an homage to the Carricks, a ship that sailed from Ireland in 1832 and docked at Grosse Ile, Quebec. This was the first year of operation for the quarantine centre that served as a major point of entry for immigrants coming into Canada for 105 years. The Carricks has been thought to be the first ship with passengers suffering from cholera, a disease contracted by many soldiers in the British Army stationed in India. Most of the people buried in Grosse Ile cemetaries were Irish people who arrived in 1832 and 1847. Grosse Ile and the Irish Memorial is now a Canadian National Heritage Site.