As I stood gazing at the life-like figures of The Famine Memorial in Dublin, Ireland I was filled with such sadness for all those people who didn't survive the Great Famine (1845-1852) and I felt a deep admiration and gratitude for those who did. The spot on which I stood to take this picture was a spot dedicated to memorializing not only a million people who suffered and perished as a result of the Great Famine, but also another million people who survived and left Ireland during that time to seek a better life elsewhere for themselves and their families. Let's also pay tribute to all the people who survived and stayed to rebuild and to carry on all the great Irish traditions and lifestyles that country proudly offers. This spot holds a great significance to me because my ancestors left their homes and the only life they had ever known to immigrate to the United States from County Cork in 1852.
Monday, November 14, 2022
THE FAMINE MEMORIAL - DUBLIN, IRELAND
As I stood gazing at the life-like figures of The Famine Memorial in Dublin, Ireland I was filled with such sadness for all those people who didn't survive the Great Famine (1845-1852) and I felt a deep admiration and gratitude for those who did. The spot on which I stood to take this picture was a spot dedicated to memorializing not only a million people who suffered and perished as a result of the Great Famine, but also another million people who survived and left Ireland during that time to seek a better life elsewhere for themselves and their families. Let's also pay tribute to all the people who survived and stayed to rebuild and to carry on all the great Irish traditions and lifestyles that country proudly offers. This spot holds a great significance to me because my ancestors left their homes and the only life they had ever known to immigrate to the United States from County Cork in 1852.
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I would love to visit that one day.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do!
DeleteI am about to see a one hour history course on this event; I am curious to see if they try to be objective and look at the matter without judgment. Whenever I hear someone discuss it they are rather zealous abut the politics.
ReplyDeleteI know this response is long in coming, but I hope the history course was worth sitting through.
DeleteA truly terrible event. I am glad that there is a memorial.
ReplyDeleteSome memorials just really touch a person...this one touched me. The Wall is another one the really tugs at my heart.
DeleteHave you seen the ship comprised of skeletons signifying the poor souls who perished on the ships taking them away from Ireland during the famine? It is not near Dublin, but further west in the middle of the country. i saw it while on a tour many years ago, and believe it is near the mountain associated with St. Patrick, I think. It is so graphic and stuns the senses with its message.
ReplyDeleteNo, I have not seen it. Do you remember the name of the memorial so I can look it up?
DeleteI believe it's The National Famine Memorial, Murrisk, County Mayo.
Deletehttps://curiousireland.ie/the-national-famine-memorial-murrisk-co-mayo-1997/
Damselfly, thank you for the link. I'll check it out
DeleteIt would be very difficult to discuss this subject and be objective at all.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth!
DeleteI dug out my photo albums and found that it is called the National Famine Monument and it is located North of Croagh Patrick,near the village of Murrisk, County Mayo.
ReplyDeleteAna, thank you so much for the info and if I'm ever back in Ireland I'll make sure I visit it. I wish I had known it was there because I definitely would have paid it a visit.
DeleteI also felt the same way at the Wall, where I went with a Viet War veteran in 2004.
ReplyDeleteI agree! We have a replica of the Wall here in Pensacola and I cry any time I visit it. It just breaks my heart to see all those names of people who gave their lives.
DeleteAnd to think at the time Ireland was part of the British Empire, which liked to see itself as a stabilizing force in the world.
ReplyDelete