Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin paused on Saturday to remember the millions who died or emigrated during Ireland's Great Famine, laying a wreath at the Irish Memorial in Philadelphia alongside his wife, Mary. The visit marked the first day of his trip to the United States.
The memorial, a sculptural work by Glenna Goodacre, depicts scenes from the famine period. Bob Gessler, president of the memorial's board of governors, explained that Goodacre visited Ireland several times to capture the faces and features of those who endured the tragedy. An estimated one million people died and two million emigrated, many to the United States, between 1845 and 1852.
Gessler noted that the memorial resonates with many emigrant communities in the US today, who understand the Irish journey from an untenable situation. “We try to represent our heritage and what happened… it enables us to teach the younger generations the stories of what happened, the stories of our people and our faith,” he said. He added that the memorial’s 23rd year marks a 35-year journey to completion.
Martin commended the memorial for telling the story of the famine’s humanity and the emotions of those who journeyed far from home. He remarked that while the scale of death and emigration is difficult to comprehend, art can convey the hardships and struggles, moving toward a sense of hope. “It’s a wonderful work that captures a traumatic journey, but out of that trauma came generations of optimism towards the foundation of this nation,” he said.
