In the first sentence of “In Search of the Banished Children,” Peter Quinn defines the word memory as “familial, tribal, communal, the seepage into our minds of other memories,” things from our past that are completely unique to each individual and stem from one’s surroundings, namely one’s family. Quinn goes on to describe his upbringing, and how his search for more information on his Irish ancestry began despite his growing up in a “family that asked few questions about the past” (43). Quinn’s roots go back to the Great Famine of the 1840s, but like many descendants of these Famine immigrants, Quinn has no artifacts or family memories from that time period save for certain details about his great-grandfather, Michael Manning, but he even doubts the credibility of those stories. Quinn resolves to find out more about his Irish ancestry despite the “silence” of memories from the time period of the Great Migration. He explores the factual and statistical side found in books and historians, and also goes directly to the source: Skibbereen, Ireland, where he hears a story about an old man that he imagines to be his great grandfather’s brother, Robert Manning.
Quinn is able to come to terms with not knowing the specifics about his ancestry. He may only have generic information about Irish presence in the 1840s, but he grew up surrounded by the influence of the Famine immigrants – the churches, schools, and other organizations founded during the time of the Great Migration. These institutions count as memories for Quinn, and support his definition of memories – entities that stem from one’s surroundings and familial bonds.
