Remnants of the Potato Famine Today: Part 2

Last week I looked at the memorials in Ireland about the potato famine. I find this topic very interesting, so I decided to continue it this week (because there are many memorial in Ireland).

The first memorial I will talk about is the National Famine Memorial Coffin Ship in Murrisk, Connacht, in County Mayo. It was unveiled on July 20, 1997  by the Public Works to commemorate the potato famine, specifically the coffin ships. The monument is very morbid; it depicts the tortured soles of passengers as they made their way across the ocean on coffin ships.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6189658445_fd28ff8fcd.jpg

http://www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=96740

http://www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=96742

Another interesting memorial is the Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum located in Co. Laois, Ireland. It is an actual workhouse that opened in 1853 and its purpose it to tell the story of life in the workhouses before, during, and after the Great Famine. Guided tours and self-guided tours are available. Exhibits depict conditions within the workhouses common at the time along with period farm equipment. 

http://www.donaghmoremuseum.com/index.html

http://www.donaghmoremuseum.com/stg/userimages/site1552/subdir1/agriculture_museum.jpg

http://www.donaghmoremuseum.com/stg/userimages/site1552/subdir1/donaghmore_carts.jpg

During the Great Famine, the Doolough Tragedy occurred in south west County Mayo. In 1849, 600 people arrived Delphi Lodge where they pleaded for food from the local leader. He refused to give any food and turned the people away. From here, the group of people proceeded to walk 3 miles to the next town, in Doolough Valley. However, the people we so starved that 400 men, women, and children fell to their death alongside the road, leaving a trail of bodies behind them. Today, a small, simple stone cross marks this road and an annual walk is held in those lost souls memory. The cross holds a simple inscription from Mahatma Gandhi: How can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings?

http://dorasireland.tumblr.com/post/11776332221/doolough-tragedy-cross-in-co-mayo-ireland-by

http://ih2.redbubble.net/image.10862497.2974/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg

The Remnants of the Potato Famine Today

This week I decided to look at the impact that the potato famine had on Ireland. Today there are many memorials dedicated to the horrific event, though I will only explore a few of them. They serve as a reminder to the people of Ireland and the world of the pain and suffering so many people had to endure.

An Gorta Mor Memorial: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:An_Gorta_Mor_Monument.png

An Gorta Mor Memorial was built in 1995 in honor of the 150th anniversity of the famine. It is located between Ennistymon and Lahinch in Ireland. The memorial shows a child standing at a work house door while a mother's anguished face is present on the other side, her hands clenched in frustration. 

 Source: http://www.tourclare.com/faminememorial.php

Strokestown Park House

Another site worth visiting is the Strokestown Park House, Garden and Famine Museum. It is a fully furnished mansion with one of Ireland's greatest archives on the famine. It also has a 6 acre garden complete with the longest Herbaceous Border in Ireland.

Source: http://www.discoverireland.com/us/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/listings/product/?fid=FI_458

Picture: http://chooseireland.com/county/roscommon/strokestown-park-house-and-famine-museum/

 Dublin is home to one of the most iconic famine memorials know, simply called "Famine". It was commissioned in 1997 and is located at the Custom House Quay in Dublin's Docklands. This location was chosen because it was a common area for people to walk on their way to the ships leaving Dublin for other countries. Today it serves as a reminder to the many people that not only lost their lives, but were forced to leave their homes in search of a better life.

"Famine" in Dublin

Source: http://www.ddda.ie/index.jsp?n=640&p=112

Picture: http://thunderations.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/the-irish-did-save-civilization-then-civilization-ground-them-down/

 

Fun Fact: What Happened to the Potato Blight?

Earlier I discussed what caused the potato famine; a fungus that infects potatoes and tomatoes. Well, you may ask, what ever happened to this fungus? Did it die out like other diseases have over the years? 

Symptoms of Potato Blight

Iterestingly, the fungus has not died out. In fact, there was an outbreak of it in the summer of 2009 in the Northeastern United States. The blight started in New York where it traveled throughout the rest of the Northeast. Researchers believe that it came from infected tomato plants in the South. Any seed plants that were purchased from the South and planted were infected and then spread the disease to health plants or seedlings.

Gardeners and farmers at the time were recommended to check for symptoms of the fungus infection regularly, spray fungicides preventively and often, and remove any infected plants promptly.

Clearly this outbreak was not as detrimental as the one in Ireland, mostly because we have better methods of controlling the fungus now and potatoes (or tomatoes) are not our main food source.

Sources:

Information: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701163647.htm

Potato: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_zYylWT20CKl0VgJJ3aJU9VtfwkMGFCKmo76fXGFYPlc95F5mKi_mG3XL0jhIA7UFjcBUgg0_fMfPLaDHYVygs07Q4xCojyL1dsSJWUVdSlbOmIPWy7IulD2y0O8ifbh3Hjf84QlaerB/s400/potato+blight.jpg