Wake for female rail worker who died 183 years ago

THE remains of a woman who died in America 183 years ago are to be brought home in what is a story of “hopes dashed and dreams shattered”.

A wake and funeral will take place in Clonoe, near Coalisland in County Tyrone, for Catherine Burns, who left for the United States in 1832 and lay buried in an unmarked grave for almost two centuries.

The 29-year-old was among a group of 57 Irish immigrants from Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry who were hired to build a railway between Philadelphia and Columbia, on a site that became known as Duffy’s Cut.

Within six weeks, all were dead of cholera and possibly violence, and were buried anonymously in a ditch.

The tragedy has been researched at Immaculata University by The Duffy’s Cut Project.

It is not known where in County Tyrone Ms Burns was from, but an Irish wake is being held in Clonoe on Friday night, followed by a funeral mass and burial in Clonoe Chapel on Sunday.

Parish priest Father Benny Fee said: “Her story of hopes dashed and dreams shattered is not unique. So in honouring the homecoming of Catherine we are honouring countless other exiles who sailed out of Ireland in the hope of a new life far from home but did not find the streets paved with gold.”