The
Memorial
RHODE ISLAND'S
PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO THE TWO
AND ONE-HALF MILLION VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF IRELAND'S "GREAT FAMINE"
OF 1845-1851 IS was
dedicated on Saturday, November 17, 2007! Photographs of
the site are posted on the Dedication page.
Although the Memorial has been
dedicated, funds are
still being raised to ensure perpetual care, as well as to fund annual
events. You can play a continuing
part in Rhode
Island's Irish-American history
and future. For information about purchasing a commemorative
brick or flagstone, or to make a larger, tax-deductible
donation please call 943-0124.
A beautiful down-city site along the Providence River Walk was
selected as the location for the
Rhode Island Famine Memorial, which
was designed and executed by the
internationally acclaimed sculptor, Robert Shure. It serves as a
forceful and moving tribute to the sufferings and triumphs of those who
came before us. It also preserves the memory and the
historical meaning of the great Famine for future generations of Rhode
Islanders of whatever ethnic or cultural background.
The Memorial
- A Description
The Irish Memorial occupies a
prominent location along the newly restored waterfront at River Walk in
Providence. A
larger-than-life statue of
three Irish figures sits on a round stone base, bordered by a
walkway that incorporates the donor-bricks
and flagstones. The walkway leads
to a commemorative wall that narrates
the history of the Famine
amid the Irish immigration. The sidewalk beneath the wall incorporatse
an outline map depicting the coasts
of America and Ireland,
emphasizing the courageous
journey
of the Irish people to the United States. Donor-bricks create an
outer semi-circle framing the maps, and
flagstones border the sidewalk nearest that runs alongside the river.
The three sculpted figures in the Rhode
Island
Irish Famine Memorial symbolically commemorate the suffering of
the
Irish people during the Great Hunger of 1845 to 1851. The sculpture
uniquely combines the despair of the past with an enduring sense of
optimism
that reflects the strength of our ancestors’ immigration and the joy of
our achievements here in America. The printed history of the Famine, on the
third side of the triangle, features vignettes of Irish life at the
time of the Hunger. Visitors are able to trace the immigrants’ escape
to
the new world on horrendous "coffin ships" and visualize their
struggle
in the American urban crucible as our forebears overcome all adversity
to build and shape a new home. You and our many successes as
Irish-Americans are the crowning end to the noble story. Our memorial
remains
an enduring symbol to the tragedy and triumph
of victims, survivors, and descendants of the Irish Famine.
The
Memorial - Its Creation
Mr. Shure
painstakingly crafted the sculpture models over the course of one
year. Below are photos of Mr. Shure with this work
of art
in its first (clay) stage, as it was prepared to be sent to the foundry
for final casting in bronze.
Mr. Shure also sculpted the model for the memorial wall that tells the
Irish immigration story in images and narrative text.
Below is the clay model for the center portion of the wall.
It should be noted that we
continue as a member organization of the Heritage
Harbor Museum and
will be involved in the creation of indoor exhibits as that project
reaches fruition.
