• This lament if dedicated to the memory of the 545 children who perished at the Kilkenny Union Workhouse during the Great Famine between the years of 1847 and 1851.
• Composed (2018) and performed (2018) by Jim McKenna.
• This lament is inspired by Jim McKenna participation in the Kilkenny Famine Experience project. (Fin Dwyer)  https://kilkennyfamineexperience.com/
• November 7, 2017, Jim's composition and performance of "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" was included in the Kilkenny Famine Experience Memorial audio visual tour.   http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/video/kilkenny-news/284437/watch-new-s-story-of-kilkenny-famine-experience.html 
• Jim McKenna is a multi-instrumentalist and composer.  http://www.youtube.com/c/Jim-McKenna-Uilleann-Pipes 
• Dr. E. Moore Quinn wrote on the subject of the Irish Famine: "...a recently composed pipe lament by Jim McKenna entitled, 'Bridget O‘Donnel: A Victim of Famine'.  ...decries the interlocking set of awful truths that existed behind the journalists' reports and images that were published in the mid-19th century about the Famine."  [The Many Voices of Pilgrimages and Reconciliation, Reversing the Silence after 150 Years (CABI, October 2017) | Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing (CABI, April 2018)].
• Jim's composition "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" used in a trailer for "The Great Famine Podcast Series"    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFE0NHC4TgU 
• Performs at the Musical Memorial at the Mother's Day Walk for Peace,  Louise D. Brown Peace Institute, Code Listen, Boston.  http://www.ldbpeaceinstitute.org/   http://www.codelisten.org/new-blog/ 
• Featured in two episodes of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. 
• Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest). 
• Folk Song Society of Greater Boston Annual Concerts. 
• Irish Connections Festival (Singers' Circle) & St. Brigid Festival, 
   Irish Cultural Centre, Canton, Massachusetts. 
• Irish Christmas Mass, St. Augustine Chapel, South Boston, Massachusetts. 
• Jim McKenna is a fifth generation Irish American. His ancestors, Daniel McKenna (Armagh) and Ann Callahan (Cork), had emigrated to Boston during the Irish Famine (An Gorta Mór) in 1850 and 1852 respectively.  Daniel McKenna and Ann Callahan were married in Boston (Charlestown) on October 1, 1854.  Daniel, and his brother Neil, were two of the six founding members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Boston (American Society of Hibernians) on March 17, 1857.  This organization was formed "for the purpose of rendering assistance to the sick and disabled members of their society, and also of providing for the decent burial of the dead". 
• Jim's great granduncle from Drumkeeran Ireland, Thomas McPartlin, performed Irish traditional music on the banjo in Boston during the late 1800's.

From Great Hunger To Boston Harbor

Lament for the Children of the Kilkenny Workhouse · Uilleann Pipes

This Lament "Lament for the Forgotten Irish of Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery" was composed and performed by Jim McKenna. http://www.youtube.com/c/Jim-McKenna-Uilleann-Pipes 

• Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery is a cemetery for mostly Irish immigrants who came to Boston during the Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór).  Bill McEvoy and Jim McKenna both have many ancestors buried  at Catholic Mount Auburn.

• On April 29, 2021 Cambridge Public Library hosted a lecture entitled "The Forgotten Irish of Mount Auburn Catholic  Cemetery" in which Bill McEvoy discussed his recently published book entitled "Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery East Watertown, MA  by William A. McEvoy, Jr" https://mountauburn.org/catholic-mount-auburn-cemetery/

• Marc Gunn, Pub Songs & Stories 242

• Dr. E. Moore Quinn wrote on the subject of the Irish Famine: "...a recently composed pipe lament by Jim McKenna entitled, 'Bridget O‘Donnel: A Victim of Famine'.  ...decries the interlocking set of awful truths that existed behind the journalists' reports and images that were published in the mid-19th century about the Famine."  [The Many Voices of Pilgrimages and Reconciliation, Reversing the Silence after 150 Years (CABI, October 2017) | Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing (CABI, April 2018)].

Audio:  Melville Park Studio | Steve Friedman, Engineer | Boston.

One Family Experience of the Irish Famine · Boston

• Jim McKenna is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. 
• Members of Jim's family, Daniel McKenna and Ann Callahan, had emigrated to Boston during the Irish Famine (An Gorta Mór) in 1850 (Armagh) and 1852 (Ballygiblin, Cork) respectively.  Daniel McKenna and Ann Callahan were married in Boston (Charlestown) on October 1, 1854.  Daniel and his brother Neil were two of the five founding members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Boston (American Society of Hibernians) on March 17, 1857 (Incorporated March 27, 1861).  This organization was formed "for the purpose of rendering assistance to the sick and disabled members of their society, and also of providing for the decent burial of the dead".  Jim's great great uncle from Drumkeeran Ireland, Thomas McPartlin, performed traditional music on the banjo in Boston during the late 1800's. Jim great great aunt, from (Ballygiblin, Cork), Bridget married Daniel Murphy (Galway) in Boston Nov 5, 1876 at Holy Cross Cathedral, Boston.  
• November 7, 2017, Jim's performance of his composition "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" was included in the soundtrack of the Kilkenny Famine Experience Memorial audio visual tour. 
• Composer of "Lament for the Forgotten Irish of Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery" https://youtu.be/rJrdt-3zHmg
• Composer of "Lament for the Children of the Kilkenny Workhouse" https://youtu.be/Zj4nVq2H3wY 
• Composer of "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel: A Victim of Famine" https://youtu.be/ehhk2nMmMZU 
• Composer of "Lamento por los Niños en Jaulas" - "Lament for the Children in Cages" 
https://soundcloud.com/jimmckenna-uilleannpipes/lament-for-the-children-in-cages, et al.
• Dr. E. Moore Quinn wrote on the subject of the Irish Famine: "...a recently composed pipe lament by Jim McKenna entitled, 'Bridget O‘Donnel: A Victim of Famine'.  The latter decries the interlocking set of awful truths that existed behind the journalists' reports and images that were published in the mid-19th century about the Famine.", The Many Voices of Pilgrimages and Reconciliation, Mansfield College, Oxford University, Publisher CABI (October 27, 2017).  | Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing (CABI, April 2018). Death within the Text | Social, Philosophical and Aesthetic Approaches to Literature (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019).  A Human Rights Pilgrimage in Ireland: Commemorating the Doolough Tragedy in the Twenty-First Century (Inter-disciplinary Publications, Oxford, England, July 2015). 
• Jim's composition "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" used for soundtrack in promotional ad for "The Great Famine Podcast Series" 
• Performed at the 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019 Mother's Day Walk for Peace, Louise D. Brown Peace Institute,
Code Listen, Boston 
• 100 Thousand Poets & Musicians 2014, Exeter New Hampshire 
• Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest) 2006 
• Folk Song Society of Greater Boston Annual Concerts 
• Irish Christmas Mass, St. Augustine Chapel, South Boston, Massachusetts
• Irish Connections Festival (Singers' Circle) & St. Brigid Festival, Irish Cultural Centre, Canton, Massachusetts 
• January 2, 2020; arranged & performed Alex Brewer's "The Rose of Saratoga" on Alex's album "Unquoted."

New tracks tagged #ochon