Irish Potato Famine Memorial - Boston, MA - Roadside Attractions on Waymarking.com

The Irish Potato Famine Memorial contains a grouping of two separate bronze sculptures by Robert Shure. One statue is of an emaciated, starving woman flanked by two equally deprived children living through the Irish Potato Famine of 1845–1852. The other sculpture depicts a healthy, well dressed, family consisting of a mother, father, and their son who have found prosperity in America. well-fed having found prosperity in America.

The memorial was dedicated on June 28, 1998. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the midpoint of Irish Potato Famine. The memorial was funded from a trust led by businessman Thomas Flatley. The sculptures are accompanied by several monuments with plaques. The plaque describing the Irish Potato Famine is inscribed:

                  AN GORTA MOR

The great famine which ravaged Ireland
between 1845-50 was the major catastrophe
of the 19th century. It brought horrific suf-
fering and loss to Ireland’s 8.5 million
people. Over one million died of starvation
and disease. Another two million emigrated,
seeking sanctuary in Boston and other
North American cities. Those remaining in
Ireland suffered poverty, eviction, and the
decimation of their culture. This memorial
remembers the famine, known in Irish as
AN GORTA MOR (The Great Hunger). It depicts
the Irish exodus from their homeland, their
arrival in Boston and ultimate triumph over
adversity in America. It was dedicated on
June 28, 1998, as part of the 150th anni-
versary of THE GREAT HUNGER.

The side of monument is inscribed: