There were forces at work to assist in the mass emigration of the Irish from Ireland starting in the 19th century. Not all of those forces had the good and welfare of the Irish poor who comprised most of the immigrant population. Who those forces were and why they assisted the Irish in leaving the homeland is the topic of the Irish Cultural Society meeting on October 4 at 8 p.m. in the Garden City Library, 60 Seventh Street, across the street from the Garden City Hotel.

The speaker is Clare Curtin, vice president of the Irish Cultural Society. Ms. Cutin has immersed herself in the Irish language and Irish history, spending most of her summers in Ireland. There she pursues the language, family genealogy, and compelling topics which present themselves, such as her topic “Assisted Emigration.” She stays current with her Irish studies through participation in language classes in the Babylon Ancient Order of Hibernians and active membership in the New York City Irish Roundtable. Her topic at this meeting will create new understanding of an important element of the emigration which changed the face of Ireland and America.

The meeting is open to the public.