Irish Hunger Memorial

The Irish Hunger Memorial, located in the midst of Manhattan’s financial district, commemorates the Great Irish Famine that took the lives of up to a million people in Ireland — and drove so many to New York City.

The Memorial was designed by artist Brian Tolle, landscape architect Gail Wittwer-Laird, and the firm 1100 Architect, and dedicated on July 16, 2002. It occupies a half-acre site in New York’s Battery Park City neighborhood and mimics the native landscape of Ireland. The vegetation, soil, and stones were actually brought in from the western coast of Ireland, and, as the video shows, even some centuries-old ruins from Irish villages have been utilized to rebuild an authentic Irish cottage.

The Irish Hunger Memorial was constructed to honor the lives lost in the Great Irish Famine, to recall the plight that brought so many immigrants to New York, and to bring awareness to hunger around the world today. The facts displayed throughout the memorial cause visitors to contemplate that hunger, and the suffering and deaths of people around the world.

The design and visuals are remarkable, and the history incorporated is thought-provoking. Watch the video above from the New York City Parks Department, and enjoy the beautiful images of the Memorial below.

Images by HBarrison (Creative Commons)