The Famine Memorial

In Dublin, we love sculptures and other works of art paying tribute to the great events of the past… And the Famine Memorial is one of those poignant testimonies that allow Dubliners to remember the sad episode of the Great Irish Famine…

Visit the Famine Memorial

A tribute to the victims of the Great Famine

Not far from Custom House, you’ll also find a memorial very dear to Dubliners: the Famine Memorial. Installed as a tribute to the victims of the Great Famine, which hit Ireland hard from 1845 to 1849, this group of sculptures depicts starving Irish people in rags, trudging along the sidewalk.

Their bodies, tortured and emaciated, seem to drag themselves along painfully, while their faces seem to proclaim their suffering. One of them, a man, seems to be carrying the inert body of a child on his shoulders… A difficult and moving scene, intended as a poignant tribute to the victims of famine…

Created in 1997 by Dublin sculptor Rowan Gillepsie, this work is a powerful symbol for the city of Dublin. Many tourists like to stop and immortalize these faces torn apart by hunger and pain. It’s a great way to remember the history that shaped Ireland, while keeping the memories alive on Dublin’s waterfront.