Irish Colleens Commemoration

 October 28, 2007 

Members of Cumann na Saoirse Naisiunta (The National Irish Freedom Committee) visited St. Joseph’s Chapel in Ashland, NY to commemorate the lives  and tragic endings of the 14 young Irish women who died in a nearby boardinghouse fire in the early 1800's.  Ashland is located just north of Windham, NY.  St. Joseph’s is the oldest Catholic Church in the Catskill Mountains of New York State.  It is believed to have been built prior to 1800, by Irish settlers to the area.   

The Chapel, built high on a rural hillside has a small plot of land, which includes a cemetery. There are many historical details known about the chapel itself, but little is known of those who worshiped or were buried there.          

Mass is celebrated at St. Joseph’s Chapel once a year, at a date determined by the parish of St. Theresa’s, Windham, NY.  The adjoining cemetery is believed to be the burial place of 14 young Irish women who worked in a local woolen mill and perished in a nearby boarding-house fire in the early 1800’s.  Unlike the inscribed headstones over the graves of others buried there, their final resting places are marked with blank chips of native slate.   

During the visit a memorial ceremony was held to commemorate the lives and tragic endings of the 14 young women.  A wreath, designed by Shannon Peterson, was placed at their unmarked graves.  Present with members of Cumann na Saoirse were Jimmy O’Connor of Windham, NY and Samuel Creech of Catskill, NY.   Mr. O’Connor is a long-time local businessman and Mr. Creech is also a local businessman, historian of St. Joseph’s Chapel, and former Trustee of St. Theresa’s Parish.      

The hope of those present is that more information regarding how they died and who they were can be known.  If individuals remember hearing about these young Irish women buried there it is important to pass those memories on.  No memory of this tragedy is insignificant.  The oral history, with memories of something an elder once said is often the way to discovering the details of the lives and deaths of those who lie in unmarked graves.    

(Click here for commemoration video)