Community comes together to commemorate An Gorta Mór

GLASGOW'S Irish community joined the parishioners of St Mary of the Assumption in the Calton to commemorate National Famine Memorial Day on Sunday May 17.

Mass was celebrated by the parish priest Fr John Mulholland who, during his sermon, paid tribute to the resilience of the Irish community and the collective impact that they made to the parish of St Mary's and the city of Glasgow.

Following the service, a wreath laying ceremony took place at The Tower Of Silence —Glasgow’s own dedicated memorial to An Gorta Mór. This was followed by a moment’s silence to remember those that died or were displaced during this period of Irish history.

The Irish Government established National Famine Commemoration Day in 2008 to acknowledge the impact of An Gorta Mór in Ireland and on the resulting diaspora across the world.

In Glasgow alone it is estimated 130,000 came from Ireland during the years of 1845 to 1852. Many of these arrived on the doorstep of St Mary’s parish that had only opened its doors in 1842.

Since the unveiling of the memorial to An Gorta Mór in 2021 in the grounds of St Mary’s a commemoration has been held to mark Famine Memorial Day every year, usually on the third Sunday in May. It has been proposed next year that an invite be extended to other Irish cultural, musical and sporting groups to lay their own memorial to mark this momentous event for the Irish diaspora.

Paddy Kelly is a member of the committee of Coiste Cuimhneachain An Gorta Mór