THIS year's Annual Famine Commemoration begins in Newry this week, the first time the event has been held north of the border.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is hosting the commemoration in the city, which had links to the ship-building industry in the 1840s. A programme of events designed to commemorate those who died or were forced to leave Ireland, and to explore the legacy of An Gorta Mor and how it continues to have an impact on the island to this day, includes contributions from authors, historians, artists and academics.
Highlights include Songs of Loss and Emigration, a seisiún of songs and poetry of emigration, loss and yearning for home which formed the creative response to the Famine; The Great Hunger, a dramatised version of the epic Patrick Kavanagh poem; and Understanding the Impact of The Great Famine in Ulster, a history course aimed at secondary students and adults.
The main commemoration event will take place at the city's Albert Basin on Saturday; related events continue in libraries, museums, arts centres and schools until October 4.
:: See newrymournedown.org for more information.
