Dedicated to the victims and survivors of Ireland’s “Great Famine” of 1845-1851, the Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial is located along the waterfront in Providence, Rhode Island. Featuring numerous statues, memorial plaques and other elements that commemorates the victims of the famine, it showcases what it means to personalize history in a way that connects with individuals and entire communities.
Finding a New Home
The Great Irish Famine would see about 1 million people die and cause another million to flee the country of Ireland. Initially caused by potato blight but made worse by the economic policy of the British Empire, it would change the demographics and cultural landscape of Ireland as well as the United States, which is where many people fled. The history of the event is printed on the main marker, along with panels that features vignettes of Irish life at the time of the Hunger.
Created in 2007, the Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial is a collection of markers and monuments, but the sculpture of the three Irish figures that sit on a round stone base, bordered by a walkway, is the most prominent of these pieces. The figures depict the despair of the past with a sense of optimism that reflects the strength of the people who would make a new home in Rhode Island. The piece pays tribute to the descendants who have enriched the life of America in general and Rhode Island in particular.
Donor-bricks create an outer semi-circle framing these essential feature, while flagstones that commemorate the sponsors border the sidewalk nearest that runs alongside the river. These pieces helped the community in the present fund the memorial that is directly connected to the legacy of the past. Doing so has allowed it to serve as a tribute to the sufferings and success of the people who made new lives in Rhode Island, highlighting what it can look like the celebrate, memorialize and connect communities across the eras.
Memorializing the Journey to America
Emphasizing the incredible journey of the Irish people to the United States, the Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial was designed to be an enduring symbol to the tragedy and triumph of victims, survivors, and descendants of the Irish Famine. By being dedicated to the survivors of Great Irish Famine who would make Rhode Island their home, the memorial has become an attraction as well as a landmark that resonates across the Providence community and beyond.
