Historic Irish Departure Ports
Between 1845 and 1950, more than six million Irish men, women, and children bade farewell to their homeland from these eight coastal harbors. From the timber barques of the Famine era to the great White Star and Cunard liners, each port had distinct regional feeder routes connecting specific Irish counties with American entry points.
Processed over 2.5 million emigrants — nearly half of the entire diaspora.
Transitioned from dangerous sail "coffin ships" to rapid 20th-century ocean steamships.
Castle Garden (1855–1890) and Ellis Island (1892–1954) received the overwhelming majority.
Port of Belfast
Port of Cobh (Queenstown)
Port of Derry (Londonderry)
Port of Dublin & North Wall
Port of Galway (Galway Docks)
Port of Limerick (Shannon Quays)
Port of Sligo
Port of Waterford (Waterford Quays)
Understanding Transatlantic Passenger Manifests
Prior to the 1890s, port passenger manifests recorded at Castle Garden or Boston often merely stated "Ireland" as the passenger's nationality. Tracing the departure port is one of the most effective methods to narrow down an ancestor's home county: emigrants rarely traveled overland beyond their nearest regional port or railway feeder line.
Explore Historical Passenger Lists & Emigration Archives →