The National Famine Museum (Irish: Músaem Náisiúnta an Ghorta Mhóir) is located at Strokestown Park, County Roscommon, Ireland. The museum contains records from the time of Ireland's Great Famine of 1845–1852.[1] The exhibits aim to explain the famine, which was triggered by the failure of successive potato harvests, and to draw parallels with the occurrence of famine (a widespread scarcity of food) in the world today.[2]
Músaem Náisiúnta an Ghorta Mhóir | |
 | |
  Location within Ireland | |
| Established | 1994 |
|---|---|
| Location | Strokestown Park, Strokestown, County Roscommon, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°46′38″N 8°05′52″W / 53.777228°N 8.097873°W |
| Website | strokestownpark.ie/national-famine-museum |
The historic relevance of Strokestown is twofold. At the time of the famine, its owner was Major Denis Mahon, the first landlord to be killed in relation to the Great Famine of Ireland. Secondly, meticulous records were kept at the estate documenting the famine and emigration.[3]
The Strokestown Park House and its estate were bought by the Westward Group in 1979. Subsequently, the museum was established by the Westward Group and all the documents on display in the museum are from the estate. In 2015, the Irish Heritage Trust took responsibility for the property with the help of private philanthropic support from individual directors of the Westward Group.[4]
The Irish National Famine Museum is twinned with the Grosse Isle and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site in Quebec, Canada.[5] It is not affiliated with the similarly-named National Famine Memorial at Murrisk, County Mayo or with Ireland's Great Hunger Museum in the US.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ S. Hood, "Through the gates—power and profit in Strokestown, County Roscommon", in Finn-Einar Elissen and Geir Atle Ersland (eds.), Power, profit and urban land.
- ^ "Strokestown Park". Strokestown Park. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ "Strokestown Park". Relevance of Strokestown Park. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Strokestown Park". History of Strokestown Park museum. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Michael Collins; Jason King (25 May 2017). "National Famine Walk: 'Remember your soul and your liberty'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
