Clare County Council has announced its intention to make a submission and select a proposed location in County Clare to host this event in 2013.
Clare County Council is this week placing advertisements in the local media inviting local and community organisations, historical societies, local Famine Commemoration Committees, schools and other interested parties to propose a location in County Clare to host this event in 2013.
The National Famine Commemoration Day, an annual observance in Ireland commemorating the Great Famine, has been organised officially by the Government since 2009. The main commemoration event is held in a different place each year, rotating among the four provinces of Ireland.
Events at the main venue usually include lectures, arts events, and visits to places connected to the Famine. Local events also take place countrywide while a minute’s silence is encouraged for schools and workplaces.
This week’s call for submissions from Clare County Council coincides with an exhibition at Áras Contae an Chláir in Ennis that concentrates on the Famine in Clare (1845-52).
According to Rene Franklin, Clare County Archivist: “The ‘Famine in Clare’ exhibition explores each Union and its electoral divisions. Other than numerous auxiliary workhouses, Clare had eight principal workhouses in Ennis, Ennistymon, Tulla, Corofin, Kilrush, Tulla, Scarriff and Ballyvaughan. Information as to the Name, Sex, Age, Cause of death from the Workhouses of Kilrush and Ennistymon from 1850-51 are displayed giving viewers an insight into the misery and suffering famine victims endured preceding their ultimate death.”
“Information is also provided on the mass evictions which took place during and after the Great Famine. From 1849 until 1854 it is believed that nearly one tenth of the Clare population had had the misfortune to be forcefully expelled from their home. West Clare was one of the worst areas for evictions in Ireland, where landlords turned thousands of families out and demolished their homes. In Kilrush between 1847-1848, the population was reduced from 80,000 to 60,000. Up to 1,000 persons were evicted from one the Vandeleur estate alone in the latter part of the 1840s,” she added.
The ‘Famine in Clare’ exhibition is organised by Clare County Archives and runs until September 9th.
Meanwhile, submissions or observations in relation to Clare’s bid to host the 2013 National Famine Commemoration may be made in writing to the Congella McGuire, Heritage Officer, Planning and Enterprise Development, Clare County Council, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.
Submissions/
