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The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, is today (Friday) travelling to Philadelphia for the 2016 International Famine Commemoration. Philadelphia became homes to tens of thousands of Irish emigrants who fled to the eastern coast of the United States during the Famine years.

As part of her trip, the Minister will meet with senior political figures, including Mayor Jim Kenney and Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack, and with Irish community organisations and Irish American business groups. On Sunday, Minister Humphreys will lead a service at the Irish Memorial in memory of those who fled Ireland during the Famine years.

Speaking today Minister Humphreys said:

"The International Famine Commemoration provides an important opportunity to remember the tragedy of the Great Famine, and it also gives us a chance to celebrate the huge contribution which Irish emigrants have made to cities like Philadelphia. The Irish community is deeply ingrained in the city of Philadelphia, where 14% of the population claim Irish ancestry.

"This weekend, we will commemorate the victims of the Great Irish Famine; a tragic period in our history, when our ancestors endured starvation and incredible hardship. Tens of thousands of Irish people arrived on the eastern coast of the United States, seeking refuge in Philadelphia, Boston and New York.

“Many of the new Irish arrivals, who came from rural areas, faced great hardship and poverty on the streets of Philadelphia. Despite this adversity, the Irish went on to play an important role in the industrial era, building railroads, bridges and canals, and gradually gaining influence in American society. Today, Philadelphia remains one of the most Irish cities in the US.

"The International Famine Commemoration serves an important role in generating discussion, at national and international levels, regarding aid and emergency assistance for those in need today, by raising awareness of famine issues in the modern world. One of the legacies left behind by the famine in Ireland is the deep compassion which is felt by Irish people for those who suffer from hunger today and a resultant strong commitment to humanitarian aid and relief.”

Notes to Editors:

Famine Memorial Philadelphia

The American National Memorial to An Gorta Mór is located in Philadelphia Pa, USA.  This memorial commemorates the struggle and pain of the Irish who fled their homeland in the face of a hunger of catastrophic proportions. It celebrates their courage that forged an enduring link between Ireland and America.

The 30-foot-long bronze statue was created by Glenna Goodacre to mark the 150^th anniversary of the Famine. With more than two dozen life-sized figures, the sculpture tells the story of the multitudes who died as well as the hundreds of thousands who crowded onto disease-ridden ships to emigrate to America.

The Irish in Philadelphia

The history of Irish immigration to Pennsylvania is the story of a largely rural people who, facing starvation and economic depression in Ireland, migrated by the thousands to major cities such as Philadelphia throughout the 19th century.

The Irish formed Philadelphia’s largest immigrant ethnic group during the nineteenth century. During the eighteenth century, the city became home to Presbyterian Scots-Irish and Catholic Irish immigrants. Many of these people worked as labourers and domestic servants. These two distinct Irish groups built their own businesses, social spaces like taverns and inns, and places of worship. Philadelphia’s oldest churches, like Old Pine Street (Third Scots and Mariners) Church and Old St. Mary’s Church, had substantial numbers of congregants from Ireland.

The largest wave of Irish immigration into Philadelphia came in the seven-year period between 1845 and 1852. By 1860, there were 95,458 Irish-born residents of Philadelphia, comprising 17% of the city’s population. The Irish settled largely around the edges of Philadelphia, particularly the neighbourhoods of Kensington and Port Richmond to the north and Southwark and Moyamensing to the south. Wherever they settled, the Irish established a network of churches, beneficial societies, schools, and businesses to provide social service and avenues of commerce.

The National Famine Commemoration Committee

The first National Famine Commemoration Committee was established in July 2008, following a Government decision to commemorate the Great Famine with an annual memorial day. The main objective of the National Famine Commemoration Committee is to consider the most appropriate arrangements for an annual national commemoration of the Great Famine. 

The general legacy of emigration, cultural loss and the decline of the Irish language, together with the specific issues of food security and the strong commitment of the Irish people to humanitarian aid and relief, are particular themes that have been explored by the committee during its work. 

The membership of the National Famine Commemoration Committee includes a range of parties, including representatives of relevant Government and non-Government organisations, as well as individuals with particular interests or expertise in relevant issues.  The committee is chaired by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

In September 2015, the Annual Famine Commemoration was staged for the first time in Northern Ireland, in Newry, Co. Down, The attendance at Newry was among the highest of any of the annual Commemorations to date and the event was attended by public representatives and members of the public from across the region.

The International Famine Commemoration

Since 2009, the National Famine Commemoration programme has included an annual International Famine Commemoration at a location abroad – the table below details the sites of previous International Famine Commemorations. 

The International Commemoration was established by the National Famine Commemoration Committee to highlight Ireland's continued links with the Diaspora and to celebrate the contributions of those who emigrated and of their descendants abroad. 

Summary of itinerary for 2016 International Famine Commemoration:

Friday 7^th October:

• Attend reception hosted by the Abbey Theatre at City Hall to mark the up-coming production of ‘The Plough and The Stars’
• Meetings with Mayor Jim Kenney and Lt. Governor Mike Stack
• Visit to Irish Centre for Commemoration Reception

Saturday 8^th October:

• Visit to Irish Memorial for panel discussion on ‘The World’s Hunger Memorials’
• Meeting with Board of the Irish Immigration Centre
• Visit to GAA Limerick Grounds for Commemoration match between Philadelphia and New York.
• Working lunch with Irish Network Philadelphia and the Irish Chamber of Commerce
• View Rosenbach collection of James Joyce and Bram Stoker manuscripts at the Rosenbach Library and Museum
• Gala Reception and Dinner, including recognition of the assistance of the Philadelphia Quakers during the Great Hunger

Sunday 9^th October 10^th:

• Official ceremony to mark the International Great Hunger Commemoration
• Attend Unity Cup in support of Team Ireland, Temple University