This Memorial, a national monument, was opened
to the public on October 25, 2003. The Memorial
stands prominently at the southeast corner of
Front and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. The
Irish Memorial is dedicated to the memory of
more than one million innocent men, women and
children who perished during the years 1845 to
1850 and to the millions of Irish immigrants who
found here in the United States of America the
freedom, liberty and prosperity denied to their
ancestors in Ireland. |
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To mark the sesquicentennial
of The Irish Starvation, civic leaders,
government, private foundations and the
community at large worked together on a $3
million project to plan and construct The
Irish Memorial Monument at a park
setting at Front and Chestnut Streets in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Co-chairs are Governor of
Pennsylvania, Edward G. Rendell and Reverend
Nicholas S. Rashford, S.J., former President of
Saint Joseph's University,
Philadelphia.
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The centerpiece of this project
is a monumental bronze sculpture set in a 1.75
acre dedicated park. Glenna Goodacre, the artist who sculpted
the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., created
the monument, including 35 life-sized figures. The bronze work
measures a spectacular 30 feet long by 12 feet wide and 12
feet high. The memorial depicts the cruel
starvation which claimed one million Irish lives between 1845 to 1850; the
harrowing journey to America taken by a million more; and the indomitable spirit
of those who arrived safely and resolved to face the challenges of life in a new
world.
The Irish Memorial adds to the cultural and historical richness of
Philadelphia's Historic District at nearby Independence National Historical Park
and Penn's Landing. Though it has special meaning for the 44 million
Americans of Irish descent, it touches everyone who approaches
it, regardless of their ancestry. Besides presenting an
important chapter in history in a moving and effective way,
the memorial is a significant addition to Philadelphia's great
collection of public art, and one of the few pieces created by a major female artist.
It serves as both a national attraction and a place for peaceful contemplation.
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