Orphan Girl- A New Fic by @kmomof4
I am sooooooooooo excited to finally share this fic with y'all!!! It has been a LONG time coming!!! It was inspired a year ago by a song our community chorale sang for our spring concert. The song Orphan Girl was written by Brendan Graham for the Annual Great Famine Commemoration in Sydney in 2012. The ceremony commemorates the relocation to Australia of over 4k female orphans after the famine took its toll. The song is told from the perspective of a 16yr old Irish famine orphan longing for a better life in Australia.
I am an orphan girl,
In Westport I was found,
The workhouse is my world,
Since the praties took us down,
What time in life is left to me,
If I don’t leave Westport town,
But the crown is sending girls to sea, for far Australia bound.
Sail, sail, sail me away,
Sail to Australia;
Sail, sail, sail me I pray,
Sail me away to Australia.
They say Australia’s fine,
They say Australia’s fair,
Australia’s on my mind
And the fields of praties there
I pray when this inspection’s done, that they’ll say me fit to sail,
For they don’t just send out anyone, oh Lord, don’t see me fail.
Sail, sail, sail me away,
Sail to Australia;
Sail, sail, sail me I pray,
Sail me away to Australia.
I am scarcely turned sixteen,
But I’m ready now to go
I’m decent and I’m clean,
Fit for any man to know.
And I will be some good man’s wife,
If there I’ll settle down-
And find myself a better life,
If I get to Sydney town.
Sail, sail, sail me away,
Sail to Australia;
Sail, sail, sail me I pray,
Sail me away to Australia.
Sail me away, sail me I pray
Sail me away to Australia.
I am an orphan girl, oh I am an orphan girl
And now thanks to whom thanks is due! Hollye helped me research and also betaed this monster, Joni helped me with plotting, and the discord ladies kept me sprinting until the dadgum thing was finished!! Thank you all!!!
Summary: Irish potato famine orphans Emma and Mary Margaret Swan hope and pray for a new life in Australia.
Rating: T
Words: 14K Make sure you have snacks and drinks readily available if you read this in one go... 😜
Tags: Period Piece, Irish Potato Famine, Australia Setting, Implied Sexual Assault/Rape, Minor Character Death
On ao3 if that's your preference.
New Tag List for the New Year! Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.
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Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.