Great Hunger/Irish emigration

Point Of Departure

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“One of Ireland’s major ports, thousands fled from here [Derry] to the Americas between 1845-1849 to escape the ravages and hardships brought about by the potato blight in the ‘Great Famine’ years.” “Timber salvaged from the docks on the river Foyle.” “Point of departure” i.e. the quay.

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
M06171

An Gorta Mór

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2009 image of the (second – see C05209) Great Hunger mural on Ardoyne Avenue (see previously the mural in 2002) with the correct spelling of “emigration” restored (see 2004).

“They buried us without shroud or coffin” is a line from an unrelated Seamus Heaney poem Requiem For The Croppies. Produced by “Ardoyne Art & Environment Project”.

The plaque on the left is to Larry Marley.

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M04781

Weary People, What Reap Ye?

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“Weary people, what reap ye? Golden corn for the stranger.
What sow ye? human corpses that wait for the avenger.
Fainting forms, hunger–stricken, what see you in the offing?
Stately ships to bear our food away, [amid the stranger’s scoffing].
There’s a proud array of soldiers — what do they round your door?
They guard our masters’ granaries from the thin hands of the poor. – Speranza”

The poetry is the first few lines of The Famine Year by “Speranza”, i.e. Lady Jane Wilde, mother of Oscar.

In the centre an aboriginal figure holds the flags of Ireland and of the Native Australians.

This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).

“Painted by Síle Na Gıg & St James Youth Aug 95” in St James’s Crescent/Donegall Road, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2008 Peter Moloney
M04224 M04222 [M04223]
[M01893] Copyright © 2000 Sınn Féın

The Famine

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“Nature sent the potato blight, government & landlords created the famine.” 1845-1849 saw one million Irish people die and a million more emigrate. During the period, the full range of other foodstuffs was produced and shipped to England, being too expensive for the native population.

Lenadoon Avenue, Belfast

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Copyright © 2007 Peter Moloney
M03538

An Gorta Mór

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An Gorta Mór is the Great Famine, or the Great Hunger among those who point out that there was plenty of food in Ireland in the late 1840s, just not made available to peasants. Of a population around eight million, a million people died and a million more emigrated. “They buried us without shroud or coffin” is a line from an unrelated Seamus Heaney poem Requiem For The Croppies.

The mural comprises three images from Illustrated London News: The Ejectment, The Day After The Ejectment | The Embarkation, Waterloo Docks Liverpool.

“Ardoyne Art & Environment Project”. In 2004, “Emigration” was incorrectly spelled with two “M”s – see the post at Extramural Activity.

Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01804 M01803