Finding Molly Johnson

A revision of the accepted history of Irish orphans’ migration to Canada during the Irish famine.

In Finding Molly Johnson, Mark McGowan traces what happened to the many orphaned children who fled Ireland's Great Famine and made the long voyage to Canada. Most were not considered members of their placement families, but rather sources of cheap labour. The book revisits an important chapter of the Irish emigrant experience, revealing that the story of Canada’s acceptance of the famine orphans is a product of national myth-making.

Mark G. McGowan is professor of history at the University of Toronto and principal emeritus of St Michael’s College. His is the author of several books including The Imperial Irish: Canada’s Irish Catholics Fight the Great War, 1914–1918.

Mark G. McGowan is professor of history at the University of Toronto and principal emeritus of St Michael’s College. He is the author of several books including The Imperial Irish: Canada’s Irish Catholics Fight the Great War, 1914–1918.

"McGowan is measured and thoughtful, and his book is at its best when it shreds the myth of universal generosity toward the vulnerable. Finding Molly Johnson is an important account of the vulnerability of migrants — and a fitting reminder not to trust self-serving mythologies." Literary Review of Canada

“Finding Molly Johnson is an excellent example of the traditional historian’s craft, providing a meticulous exploration of the Irish Famine migrations and the impact they had on the hundreds of Irish children who were orphaned at its height. McGowan successfully brings the orphans themselves, as individuals with particular stories, to the foreground.” Lisa Chilton, University of Prince Edward Island

“This book is one of the most interesting and powerful examinations of Irish Canadian history in recent memory.” Jane McGaughey, Concordia University