The Jeanie Johnstonreplica Famine ship that was built in Tralee, Co Kerry, returns to Ireland today after a tour of more than 20 North American cities.
The 37-metre-long Famine replica ship is based on an original 18-sail vessel that brought 2,500 Irish immigrants on 16 voyages to the New World in the mid-19th century without losing a single passenger.
The Jeanie Johnstonproject attracted significant controversy when the total cost of the project spiralled to about €15.5 million, and the future of the boat now remains uncertain.
The first voyage of the original Jeanie Johnstonin 1848 was to Quebec, when the fare was three pounds ten shillings or half a year's pay for a typical immigrant.