In this RTÉ historical programme, broadcaster Myles Duggan speaks with Dr. Cian McMahon, author of The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine, exploring a critical but often overlooked aspect of one of modern Ireland's defining historical traumas.

The term "coffin ship" has become a powerful symbol of the Great Famine (An Gorta Mór) of 1845-52, representing the perilous maritime journeys undertaken by approximately two million Irish people seeking escape from starvation and disease. These overcrowded vessels, often unseaworthy and lacking adequate provisions, carried desperate emigrants across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with many passengers perishing during the journey—hence the grim but apt nickname.

Dr. McMahon's research offers a fresh perspective on the migration experience by focusing on the journey itself rather than departure or arrival points. By examining the harsh realities faced by Irish emigrants and convicts aboard these ships between 1845 and 1855, he provides insight into the lived experiences of individuals caught in one of history's most significant forced migrations.

The coffin ships represent more than historical transportation; they have become powerful metaphors in Irish cultural memory for the desperation, suffering, and resilience of Famine-era emigrants. They symbolise both the catastrophic failure of British governance in Ireland during this period and the extraordinary determination of those seeking survival through perilous journeys to unknown lands.

This examination of the coffin ship phenomenon contributes to our understanding of how traumatic historical experiences become mythologised in national consciousness, with specific elements—in this case, the dangerous emigrant ships—serving as condensed symbols that encapsulate broader historical narratives of suffering, survival, and diaspora formation.