The Liverpool Irish Festival:Irish Famine Memorial Service

There was a powerful service for An Gorta Mor as part of The Liverpool Irish Festival on its final day, and this year seems even more poignant when we are witnessing homelessness, persecution, refugees, poverty, and 'othering' on the world stage, and such dreadful atrocities.

There was initially a talk by Greg Qiery, who was the original member of the Famine Committee. Because of his talk as part of a panel at the University earlier in the week remembering the Good Friday Agreement, today's speech held particular resonance. There was actually a lot of resistance to Liverpool having a memorial at all.

This was before the ceasefire in the North and the Good Friday Agreement, so the memorial itself is a testament to Liverpool’s Irish Community and its tenacity that it is in Liverpool at all, and indeed the trail plaques. It is now 25 years old, as old as the Good Friday Agreement itself. Greg is one of only 2 surviving members of the committee, and curatorship has officially been passed over to the care of the Festival. I felt the weight of that during the service, and it's vital that the story is told.

There was a poem read in English and Irish, titled "The Famine Story." A line that sticks in my mind talks of "hungry bones." It sent shivers through mine. Hearing it in Irish was heart-wrenching. Most who came to Liverpool could only speak Irish. There was even an Irish-speaking district in Liverpool at this time.

As Emma Smith, the CEO and Creative Director of the Liverpool Irish Festival, movingly said, “1.3 million Irish hands helped shape this city, and we are forever grateful to Ireland.” So it wasn’t just honoring the stories of those who perished, but those who stayed and made Liverpool their home. And, as I think of it, all immigrants who helped shape this city now. Everyone's story deserves to be told. There was a minute of silence, and we “still heard the sounds of the city which gives us hope that life goes on,” as Emma said.

Then, there was a specially commissioned song by Una Quinn for the Famine Trail which rounded off the service and was utterly beautiful. There were around 50 of us gathered, and there were lots of teary eyes. I was teary but thankful we get to tell this important story of our city. The trail is committed to remembrance and telling the real story. It was a natural disaster but also a political failure, and putting an end to famine and homelessness across the world.

History is not some dusty, distant story. It walks amongst us. There were tears for our ancestors who helped build this incredible city. But tears of gratitude.

There is a paid creative call for 4 creatives to work with guardians of the trail to create a piece of art, whether that be art, film, or theatre, that honors stories of the trail.

For further information, go to the Liverpool Irish Festival website https://www.liverpoolirishfestival.com or email faminetrail@liverpoolirishfestival.com

  
Words by Clare McGrath