Ballad of James Collins pays homage to Irish doctor who died on Partridge Island in N.B.
The tragic tale of a 19th century Irish doctor who made it his mission to help sick and suffering immigrants stranded on Partridge Island's quarantine station during the typhus epidemic, has been immortalized in a new song written by a musician from the Emerald Island.
The musician, by the name of Danny Dineen, has written a song about the doomed doctor, who would contract and die from typhus not long after arriving to help. The song is called The Ballad of James Collins.
"(Dr. James Collins) he was really wanting to help his fellow Irish over there, so he was going to Partridge Island to help out," says president of the Saint John chapter of the Irish Canadian Cultural Association, who is also named Danny Dineen.
"His wife begged him not go, she was pregnant for their first child, but feeling the way he did, he figured he had to go and help and that makes him a real hero. You're willing to give your life up to help others."
The song was written after Dineen of Saint John, himself a big fan of traditional Irish music, travelled to Ireland on a family trip back in July of 2019.
They met with the musician's family in Cork – and although Danny was away at the time playing music – the two were able to connect online later on, and it was then that they started to discuss writing a song about Partridge Island.
"The pandemic hit, and I was kind of stuck at home with nothing to do, so I said alright, we're in a pandemic now, I'm going to write about a pandemic that was nearly 200 years ago," says Dineen in an interview over Zoom from Limerick, Ireland.
Partridge Island is connected to the west side of Saint John by breakwater, and is off-limits to visitors.
It is a designated National Historic Site of Canada, due to its role in immigration to Canada, and specifically New Brunswick – along with the quarantine station that was established on the island in 1830, to try and prevent the spread of disease to the mainland.
According to local historian Harold E. Wright, over 33,000 immigrants arrived in New Brunswick between the years of 1840 to 1845 with 88 per cent of those being Irish. In 1938 it was scaled down and formally closed in 1942 – it's estimated that nearly 3-million people were subject to quarantine inspection.
For the performer of the song – the experience of researching and writing The Ballad of James Collins – was a meaningful experience.
"Where I live in Cork, it wouldn't be far from Cobh which would have been where an awful lot, if not most, of the immigrants who left during the famine would have sailed out from," says Dineen.
"To learn about the experience of what happened to the people when they got to the other side … and they were kind of met, fleeing from famine at the other side of the ocean, being planted in an island in the middle of another epidemic."
You can listen to the Ballad of James Collins by going to Danny Dineen's Facebook page or by going to his Spotify page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.