Down through the years, poverty in Ireland forced many young men and women to 'take the boat' to head off in search of a living.  Many of these went to Scotland, England, America, and Australia, leaving family and friends back at home.  In many of these lands, the Irish have been credited with building the infrastructure, which provided the foundation for the prosperity these countries enjoy today - the roads, the tunnels and the railways.

During the Famine, and in the decades after, many Rosses people joined these Irish in search of a better future.  This book describes the exploits of the men who worked the fields in Glasgow, or who mined in places like Butte, Montana, in order to earn a wage to keep their wife and children back at home.  Stories are told of men who fought during the American Civil War or of those who worked the tunnels in Scotland and Australia.  Harrowing stories are also told of those who died on foreign shores, never to see their families or homeland again.

The Mine at Butte, Montana

Today, the emigrant ship is returning, with many of those now able to earn a living in a booming economy.  Annually, the planes bring home those of Rosses descent, eager to explore their roots or examine how their ancestors lived.  This book is a valuable roadmap for that journey.