Gorta welcomes selection of Connacht venue for Famine Commemoration 2010
February 17th, 2010Murrisk, Co. Mayo and New York City to mark Irish Famine in 2010
A little village at the foot of Croagh Patrick and the most populous city in the United States of America might not appear to have much in common. However, the people of Murrisk (and the wider community of Westport in Co. Mayo) and New York City share at least one honour in 2010: they have both been chosen by the Irish Government as the locations of this year’s National Famine Memorial Day.
As the Freedom from Hunger Council of Ireland, gorta will be involved in the memorial events, both in Ireland and abroad, during the month of May.
”gorta is looking forward to working with the Irish Government and the community of Murrisk to ensure that Ireland’s greatest humanitarian disaster continues to be remembered”, comments Brian Hanratty, gorta CEO.
”This day is also an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of all those who emigrated, and of their many descendants abroad” added Hanratty, who is a member of the National Famine Memorial Committee.
The failure of the potato crop during the 1840s which led to the Great Famine was a watershed in the history of Ireland. With a third of the population entirely dependent on the potato for food, the failure of the crop exacerbated political, social and economic factors leading to mass death, disease and emigration.
Ireland’s population was severely reduced by approximately 1.5 million and also resulted in the formation of many diaspora communities.
The West of Ireland and County Mayo in particular, was one of the worst affected areas during the Great Famine. A fitting backdrop for the commemoration events, Murrisk is home to Ireland’s largest bronze sculpture, by John Behan, depicting a ‘Coffin Ship’ with skeletal bodies.
In New York, a similar sculpture by the same artist, entitled ‘Arrival’, is situated outside United Nations Headquarters and depicts those immigrants who survived the arduous journey to America. The sculpture was a gift by the Irish nation to the United Nations in 2000.
In addition, the ‘Irish Hunger Memorial’, by Brian Tolle, in Battery Park in lower Manhattan, features a 180-year-old Irish cottage recreated on a quarter-acre of stones, soil, and native vegetation brought in from Co. Mayo.
“Taking stock and learning from our past is hugely important. Over one billion people live in chronic hunger today and we know preventing famine is more than providing food."
It’s about sustainable development - protecting harvests, enabling access to markets, sharing knowledge and expertise, building local access and safeguarding natural resources” explains Hanratty.
“Investing in agriculture pays dividends in terms of reducing inequality – it’s where 70% of the poorest individuals draw their livelihoods from in Sub-Saharan Africa. Without sustainable agriculture, sustainable development will remain a dream” ended Hanratty.
Last year gorta hosted a series of events in Skibbereen, West Cork on the occasion of the inaugural National Famine Memorial Day.
As part of the weekend events, gorta’s interactive microsite MakeHungerHistory.org was launched. Additionally, gorta volunteers from Skibbereen were presented with bronze medallions by Eamonn O’Cuiv, T. D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and honoured for their successful work in raising funds for development projects in Tanzania and India.
gorta will be announcing its schedule of events in the coming weeks.
