What makes this very unlikely is that passage to America was not free. Of the victims of poverty and famine in 19th century Ireland, the *least* poor and starving were the ones who could scrape up the fare to North America or Australasia. If you didn't have the money for that, you might have the boatfare to England or Scotland, maybe making seasonal trips as an agricultural worker. If you couldn't afford that, the Army might take you if you were young, male and fit. Failing all those you would stay put and take what came.