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The Great
Irish famine of the 1840's is now regarded as the single greatest social
disaster of 19th century Europe. Between 1845 and 1850, when blight
devastated the potato crop, in excess of two million people - almost
one-quarter of the entire population - either died or emigrated. The
Famine Museum is located in the original Stable Yards of Strokestown Park
House. It was designed to commemorate the history of The Great Irish
Famine of the 1840's and in some way to balance the history of the 'Big
House'. |
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Whereas the landlord class had the resources to leave an indelible
mark on the landscape, the Irish tenants lived in poverty and nothing of a
physical nature has survived to commemorate their lives. The Famine Museum
uses the unique documents that were discovered in the estate office,
dealing with the administration of the estate during the tenure of the
Mahon family. This collection includes many haunting pleas from starving
tenants on the estate and the response they received. |
The Famine
Museum at Strokestown Park, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, Ireland is twinned
with Grosse Ile and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site, Grosse Ile,
Quebec, Canada. Over 5,500 Irish people who emigrated during the famine
years are buried in mass graves at Grosse Ile. |
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The Museum also has a strong
educational focus and seeks to create a greater awareness of the horrors
of contemporary famine by demonstrating the link between the causes of the
Great Irish Famine of the 1840's and the ongoing spectacle of famine in
the developing world today. The Famine Museum was opened in 1994 by the
then President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and she said 'More than
anything else, this Famine Museum shows us that history is not about power
or triumph nearly so often as it is about suffering and
vulnerability'.
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