NYC Famine delegation goes house hunting

By Pierce O’Reilly

Ten members of the Irish Hunger Memorial Committee and New York City officials are in Ireland this week attempting to locate a replica Irish farmhouse for the Irish Hunger Memorial at Battery Park City.

The delegation is visiting several counties in the West viewing different sites that may be chosen for the memorial, which is to be opened next March. The delegation is also meeting with government officials to discuss the best possible means of importing native Irish stone that will be used in the perimeter wall.

"Our dream is to have at least one stone from each of the 32 counties used in the wall surrounding the project so that visitors can actually touch the sod of their heritage," Adrian Flannelly, organizer of the tour, said.

To be erected on a half-acre site overlooking the Hudson River, the hunger memorial was designed by artist Brian Tolle, who was inspired by a visit last year to a deserted village on Achill Island in County Mayo. The project is designed as a living memorial replicating an actual plot of Irish farmland complete with stone walls and a roofless stone house.

"It has long been my desire to educate the people of my state, and indeed the world, of the events surrounding the Great Irish Famine of 1846-50," Gov. George Pataki said. "It is my belief that such education will help alleviate future ethnic and religious persecutions that lead to starvation. Mr. Tolle really captured the essence of Ireland."

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has pledged his support to the project.

The traveling committee includes Tim Carey, Jim Gill, Paul Curran, John Feerick, Tom Moran, Brigid Driscoll, Adrian Flannelly, William Plunkett, Michael Finnegal, Joseph Seymour, Margaret Pataki, William Whelan, Jack Irwin and Jeff Cleary.