Nonfiction writing project – Irish Diaspora Family Stories from Minnesota and Canada

Irish Diaspora — This is the writing project page of Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota. The page is updated with published stories and information related to the nonfiction writing project, Irish Diaspora stories from Minnesota and Canada. The writing project was originally funded by the McKnight Foundation, with an Artist Growth Grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, 2022-2024.

November 26, 2024, a second grant was received from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Artist Growth 2024-2026, for Nonfiction Writing Project: Wolfe Islander.

Jannet L. Walsh is a recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Artist Growth Grant, 2024-2026. This activity is funded, in part, by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund.

Nonfiction Writing project, Wolfe Islander

* Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Artist Growth Grant, 2024-2026

*Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Artist Growth Grant, McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024

**Family from Ireland, Canada and USA – brief history** – This is a portrait of Catherine Summers Walsh (1833-1909), and her husband Michael J. Walsh Sr. (1812-1901), great great-grandparents of Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota. Undated photo, late 1890s to early 1900s. The couple married at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1857. They had eight children born in Ontario, and baptized on Wolfe Island, Ontario. Michael married first wife Mary Moran, 1829, and she dies in Ireland, 1831. Second wife Bridget Moran died and is buried on Wolfe Island, 1857. First born son of Michael Sr. was Patrick Walsh, born in Ireland about 1842 to 1846. Patrick’s mother was likely Bridget Moran, sister or relative of Mary Moran, married likely in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The family lines were separated in 1877 when Michael J. Walsh Sr. and family migrated to Minnesota, and Patrick Walsh and his family remained on Wofle Island farming until the 1890s, and finally migrated to Philadelphia with his family over a period of several years. Patrick and his family appear in the 1900s US Census records as living at 735 Oxford St., Philadelphia. Learn more about the Irish Canadian family at Walsh ‘s blog.

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Jannet L. Walsh
November 26, 2024
Murdock, Minnesota

**Walsh Family** – Jannet L. Walsh stands at the graves of her Irish born Great Great-Grandparents, De Graff, Minnesota, September 29, 2022. Her Walsh family lived at least 35 years in Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, after departing Ireland, and before settling as pioneers in Dublin Township, Swift County, Minnesota. Other branches of her Irish family also lived in Canada before migrating to the United States.

About this page
This page was started in 2022 to host details associated with the Irish Diaspora writing project of author Jannet L. Wash, of Murdock, Minnesota.

First Grant, 2022-2024
This page hosts the online nonfiction quest narrative genre writing project Nonfiction Quest Narrative Genre Writing Project – Family Stories: Minnesota and Irish Diaspora by Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota. Walsh is a recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, Artist Growth Grant, 2022 – 2024. Funding for this program is provided by the McKnight Foundation. Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive. The McKnight Foundation supports working artists to create and contribute to vibrant communities.

Second Grant, 2024-2026
November 26, 2024, a second Artist Growth grant was received from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, to continue the writing project started in 2022. This grant is specifically to finish the manuscript started during the previous grant, and prepare for publication, seeking a publisher.

Direct link to the award 2024 can be found at the at the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, see Artist Growth, funded Nov. 26, 2024.

**Jannet L. Walsh** at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

Dates of grant, 2024-2026
Starting date, November 26, 2024
End date, June 30, 2026
Final reporting date, August 29, 2026

“Jannet Walsh of Murdock was awarded $4,000 for the completion writing Wolfe Islander: Return to the people of the Land and Sea (a collection of new family history stories in Minnesota and Canada, part of the Irish Diaspora), to hire a book editor, for marketing, and presenting a finished manuscript to publishers to obtain a book publishing contract. “
From Southwest Minnesota Arts Council. December 2024 Newsletter, sent by Email.

Dates of grant, 2022-2024
Starting date, October 1, 2022
End date, June 30, 2024
Final reporting date, Aug. 29, 2024

“Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock has been awarded $4,000 to write a creative nonfiction quest narrative genre writing project to produce a new collection of her family history stories in Minnesota and Canada, focusing on the “Irish Diaspora, ethnic Irish living outside the island of Ireland.” The collection of writing will be available on her website, offered to credible publications, and used to create her second book.”
From Southwest Minnesota Arts Council. View details at SMAC October 2022 Newsletter.

Project Hashtags

#IrishDiasporaSMACMcKnight

#IrishFamilyHistoryDetective

**Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota,** walks at the entrance to a farm her family once called home about 1850 to 1877, on Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada. Walsh explored her Irish Canadian roots during the Christmas season 2022, and early January 2023, on Wolfe Island, the largest island of the archipelago of the Thousands Island located in the St. Lawerence River and Lake Ontario. Self portrait taken December 28, 2022.

READ – ‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian Johnson, Thousand Islands Life

Blogs, stories, and online publications by Jannet L. Walsh

View Archives of Irish Diaspora Writing Project at JannetWalsh.com

Listing of all blogs and stories at JannetWalsh.com and other sources

September 14, 2024 – Present

September 14, 2024, The Islander Johnny O’Shea, May 15, 1932 -September 11, 2023, Wolfe Island’s bard, storyteller, view at Thousand Islands Life Magazine, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Blog post the late storyteller Johnny O’Shea of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. View at original post at JannetWalsh.com.

October 1, 2022 — Aug. 29, 2024

August 16, 2024, Honoring John “Johnny” Francis O’Shea, May 15, 1932 -September 11, 2023, Wolfe Island’s bard, storyteller, view at JannetWalsh.com. Blog post the late storyteller Johnny O’Shea of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada.
August 15, 2024, Writing grant ends, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Artist Growth Grant, McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024, view at JannetWalsh.com. Blog post about artist grant ending, and overview about Irish Diaspora writing project.
September 20, 2023, Walsh expedition continues to Wolfe Island 2022-2023, video posted, view at JannetWalsh.com. Blog post of second trip to Wolfe Island, Aug. 27 to September 15, 2023. Video posted from the Wolfe Island Historical Society talk, Sept. 10, 2023, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. This was funded by Jannet L. Walsh.
July 11, 2023, Irish in Canada – Resources for hunting down Irish Canadian ancestors, view at IrishCentral.com. Story has details about searching for family history in Ontario, Canada, along with using archives, passenger lists, census records, church documents to find roots in Canada. Story featured on home and genealogy pages of IrishCentral.com.
April 7, 2023, Killarney, Blarney, and Dublin – Remembering my first trip to Ireland in 1980, view at IrishCentral. Story has details of family history related to Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada and Ireland, along with first trip to Ireland, 1980.
March 18, 2023, Luck of the Irish – Tracing the Lineage, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, view at JannetWalsh.com.
March 14, 2023, Search for Irish Canadian ancestors, Irish genealogy tips, view at JannetWalsh.com.
February 14, 2023, ‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian Johnson, Thousand Island Life Magazine, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, view at JannetWalsh.com.
February 11, 2023, ‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian Johnson, The Kingston Whig-Standard, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, view at JannetWalsh.com.
October 6, 2022, story published at IrishCentral, Searching for my 150-year-old Irish family records in Ontario, view story link at JannetWalsh.com, and IrishCentral, Searching for my 150-year-old Irish family records in Ontario, view story at IrishCentral website.
October 4, 2022, Announcement, Nonfiction writing project – Irish Diaspora Family Stories from Minnesota and Canada, view page at JannetWalsh.com
October 3, 2022, Irish Diaspora Project page created and posted at JannetWalsh.com.

Interviews, publicity, talks about Jannet L. Walsh

November 26, 2024 — present

June 2025, Writing a Tribute to Brian, by Susan W. Smith. Story featured by the late Captain Brian Johnson, ‘Irish Bard’ Find Family Roots on Wolfe Island. View June 2025 story at Thousands Islands Life.com Magazine. View original story published February 2023.

January 31, 2025, interview about Archbishop John Ireland and his first colony, De Graff, Minnesota. Video by Abigail Peters, University of St. Thomas student. Interview, November 23, 2024, Murdock, Minnesota. See video at YouTube, “Becoming American: Archbishop John Ireland and the Catholic Colonization Bureau of St. Paul.” Interview with Jannet L. Walsh start approximately at 6:30 in the video.
November 26, 2024, Jannet Walsh of Murdock was awarded $4,000 for the completion writing Wolfe Islander: Return to the people of the Land and Sea (a collection of new family history stories in Minnesota and Canada, part of the Irish Diaspora), to hire a book editor, for marketing, and presenting a finished manuscript to publishers to obtain a book publishing contract. “From Southwest Minnesota Arts Council. December 2024 Newsletter, email.
November 22, 2024, Springboard for the Arts Growth Fund Award, grant recipient. See details at Springboard for the Arts website.
April 22, 2024, Archbishop John Ireland Talk, Zetetic Study Club spring luncheon at McKinny’s, Benson, Minnesota.

October 1, 2022 — Aug. 29, 2024

September 10, 2023 — Wolfe Island Historical Society talk – a Journey from Ireland to Minnesota by AeroSnapper Kingston.

September 10, 2023, Walsh expedition to Wolfe Island 2022-2023 –
‘Irish Bard’ Jannet L. Walsh finds roots in Ontario, Canada, Wolfe Island Historical Society, Wolfe Island United Church, 52 Victoria St., Wolfe Island, 1:30 pm, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. View link to video at YouTube by Mike Hill, Wolfe Island Historical Society talk – a Journey from Ireland to Minnesota.
March 18, 2023, TRACING THE LINEAGE, Murdock’s own’Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island, Ontario, PDF, by Brian Johnson, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minnesota. View as a PDF at JannetWalsh.com, and as a hyperlink, West Central Tribune. Story featured at Flipboard.com.
February 14, 2023, ‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian P. Johnson, Thousand Island Life Magazine, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
February 11, 2023, ‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian Johnson, The Kingston Whig-Standard, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. View direct link at Kingston Whig-Standard.
October, 2, 2022, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, SMAC, Monthly Newsletter October 2022, and newsletter page at SMAC, October 2022
September 27, 2022, Individual artist grants funded, Artist Growth Grant, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council

About Jannet L. Walsh

**Finding Irish family history** – Jannet L. Walsh stands at the farm her family called home about 200 years ago in rural County Kerry, December 30, 2018.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Online Profile and Social Media

Media Room

Biography

Contact

**Living room, November 1948 Murdock, Minnesota:** The late Martin J. Walsh Sr.,(1887-1988) about age 61, at home in Murdock, reading newspapers. He was photographed by his son Martin J. Walsh Jr.,(1924-2008). Martin Sr. is first generation born in the United States. His father, Michael J. Walsh Jr.,( 1858-1929) was born on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, 1858, son of Michael J. Walsh Sr. and Catherine Summers, both of Ireland. The Walsh family originates from County Kilkenny, Ireland, arriving in Canada, 1842, before migrating to De Graff, Minn., 1877. The is a copy of original black and white photograph, originally created on black and white negative film. View image at Flickr.

Genealogy, family history resources

Search for Irish and Canadian ancestors, see bottom of page

Artist Grant – Learn more about supporting agencies of this project

2024-2026

2022-2024
This activity is made possible by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council with funds from The McKnight Foundation.

Learn more about Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, SMAC

The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting and encouraging the development of the arts in the eighteen counties of southwestern Minnesota by serving as a source of funds and technical services which enable local organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to sponsor and/or create and promote the arts in their communities.

The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, seeks to improve the quality
of life for present and future generations. Program interests include regional economic and community development, Minnesota’s arts and artists, education equity, youth engagement, Midwest climate and energy, Mississippi River water quality, neuroscience research, international crop research, and rural livelihoods. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William and Maude McKnight, the Foundation has assets of approximately $2.2 billion and grants about $90 million a year.

Minnesota Residents – Search for similar arts grants at regional arts councils at the Minnesota State Arts Board website.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.