PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Jeanie Johnston, a three-masted replica of one of Ireland's most famed famine ships, will arrive in Philadelphia at Penn's Landing on June 12 and will be open to the public for tours from Friday, June 13 to Sunday, June 22. The ship will be docked close to the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, located at Chestnut Street and Columbus Boulevard. The ship originally set sail for North America from Ireland on February 16, 2003 and has been making its way up the North American coast since mid-April. Following her stay in Philadelphia, she will head to Burlington, NJ and return to PA for a tour in Bristol from June 26-30. She will continue North up into Canada and will return home to Ireland in late October.
In making the journey to North America, the crew of the Jeanie Johnston has recreated the trip over two million Irish emigrants braved to reach a new homeland during the era of the Great Famine that swept through Ireland in the mid-19th century. The ship is a fifteen (15) million dollar replica of the original Jeanie Johnston that carried over 2,500 Irish emigrants to the United States and Canada from 1848 to 1855. In her 16 heroic voyages across the Atlantic there was never a loss of life on board.
Below deck the ship has a floating museum that brings history to life. While in Philadelphia, visitors will be able to tour the museum to get a sense of what it was like to sail on a famine ship such as the Jeanie Johnston. In addition, planned activities include live music featuring the area's finest Irish Bands, Mummers and Irish string bands, Irish dancers, storytellers, bagpipe players and harp players. There also will be information on the Great Hunger and Irish History. On June 15th there will be a Ceremony at the Philadelphia Irish Memorial (at Front and Chestnut Streets), on June 22nd the Turbo Turtle Race to benefit the Hibernian Hunger Project and June 21-22, from 6.30-9.00 p.m. an Irish-American Festival.
VISITOR INFORMATION
What: Tours on board the Jeanie Johnston Irish Famine Ship
When: Open to the public for tours Friday, June 13 to Sunday,
June 22. 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Penn's Landing Corporation, 121 North Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Ticket Prices: $7 for adults; $5 for seniors, children under 12
and students; $20 family packages will also be available. Note:
Free tours to the public: 10:00-11:00 am and 3:00-4:00 p.m. every
day.
More Information: Visit www.jeaniejohnston.ie or call the
Philadelphia Committee of the Jeanie Johnston toll free at
1-877-IRL-SHIP
Tourism Ireland, the tourism promotion agency for the island of Ireland, has lent its full support to the Jeanie Johnston and will arrange a series of special events aboard the ship in various North American ports -- Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Montreal -- to highlight Irish heritage and promote tourism to Ireland -- North and South.
The official schedule for the ship's tour follows: West Palm Beach, Florida, April 15-28, 2003 Savannah, Georgia, May 2-12, 2003 Charleston, South Carolina, May 15-19, 2003 Washington DC, May 28-June 2, 2003 Baltimore, Maryland, June 3-9, 2003 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 12-23,2003 Burlington, New Jersey, June 23-26, 2003 Bristol, Pennsylvania, June 26-30, 2003 New York, New York, July 3-14, 2003 Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York, July 14-17, 2003 Newport, Rhode Island, July 17, 2003 Providence, Rhode Island, July 18-21, 2003 Boston, Massachusetts, July 24-August 4, 2003 Portsmouth, New Hampshire, August 7-11, 2003 St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, August 15-19, 2003 Saint John, New Brunswick, August 20-25, 2003 Halifax, Nova Scotia, August 29-September 2, 2003 Miramichi, New Brunswick, September 6- 9, 2003 Montreal, Quebec, September 16- 22, 2003 Quebec City, Quebec, September 24- 29, 2003 St. Johns, Newfoundland, October 16- 20, 2003
The Penn's Landing Corporation logo is available at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=349