Legacy of The Great Irish Famine - Legacy of The Famine Today

Legacy of The Famine Today

Ireland commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine in the 1990s. It was a contrast, in many ways, with the 100th anniversary in the 1940s. Then, only a few commemorations were held—the most significant of which was a commissioned volume of Famine history edited by R. Dudley Edwards and T. Desmond Williams (though not published until 1956), and the 'Famine Survey' undertaken by the Irish Folklore Commission in 1945. It may still have been too traumatic an experience; the children of many Famine survivors were still alive, as indeed were some born during the Famine period. The 1990s marked a significant shift in attitudes towards commemorating the Famine, as hundreds of events took place in Ireland and throughout the Irish diaspora, some of which received sponsorship from the National Famine Commemoration Committee based in the Department of the Taoiseach, led by TD Avril Doyle. At the Great Famine Event held in Millstreet, a statement from British Prime Minister Tony Blair was read aloud, apologising for the failure of past British governments to adequately address the crisis. A large amount of new famine studies were produced, many detailing for the first time local experiences. Historians re-examined all aspects of the Famine experience; from practical issues like the number of deaths and emigrants, to the long-term impact it had on society, sexual behaviour, land holdings, property rights and the entire Irish identity. In 2010 Britain failed to send a diplomatic representative to the opening of the National Famine Commemoration, while 14 other nations did.