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The Irish Memorial

The National Memorial to An Gorta Mór

About

The Irish Memorial is about the dedication 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. 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.

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.

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.

The Monument

The monumental bronze is designed as a dynamic arc filled with movement. Approximately 12 feet high, 30 feet long, and 12 feet wide, the sculpture rests on a granite plinth 2 feet high and has the basic profile of a large wedge. The design suggests the multitudes with 35 life-size bronze figures arranged in clusters of vignettes.

The monument’s flow depicts the starvation in Ireland, the people embarking for America and then the immigrants stepping onto American shores. The east end, suggesting a landscape, portrays the misery of the Irish Starvation. In contrast, the higher end, suggesting a ship, faces west as anxious immigrants dock in America and a number of figures rush forward in anticipation, full of hope and looking to the future of freedom and opportunity. The design is a true sculpture in the round, with engaging subjects and intriguing shapes seen from every angle. All of the figures are in period dress but are loosely modeled and impressionistic. The figures draw you close to experience the detail and expressions in the faces. Glenna, through this magnificent sculpture, has truly captured the essence of An Gorta Mór. Each time you view the monument you notice another subtle detail or experience the story of the Starvation from a different figure’s perspective.

The Artist

The artist, Glenna Goodacre was selected to execute The Irish Memorial. Selected from an international group of more than 100 artists, the Irish Memorial Committee chose Glenna Goodacre to create the sculpture. Best known for her stirring tribute to the women who served in Vietnam, The Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the Mall in Washington D.C., Glenna’s work in bronze is world-renowned. This memorial, with its sensitive representation of women in a time of hostility, will guarantee her place in the annals of American sculpture.

The artist was selected to execute The Irish Memorial not only for her ability to create exciting design, but for a concept that has truly captured the mission and objective of the Memorial to commemorate the past and recognize the contributions of the survivors to educate and inspire future visitors to the site to portray the indefatigable spirit of the Irish to show the eagerness of the survivors to engage the challenges of the new world to reflect the theme of both tragedy and triumph emphasis on hope and freedom.

In a career that has spanned thirty-five years, Goodacre has formulated her belief in art into sculptures of heroic monuments, vivacious children and sensitive portraits. A painter and sculptor, Goodacre received training in painting and drawing at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, and the Art Students League in New York. The first exhibition in which her bronzes were shown was in 1971. Goodacre’s commissioned bronze portrait figures and busts are in public view in more than 10 states. Her work is represented in numerous private, corporate, municipal, national and international collections. In national exhibits her works have won numerous awards from the National Sculpture Society and the Allied Artists of America and in 1994, she was elected a member of the National Academy of Design.

nternational Great Hunger Commemoration The Irish Memorial of Philadelphia is proud to have been chosen the host of the 2016 International Great Hunger Commemoration. Since 2009, the Irish government has sponsored annual joint commemorations of An Gorta Mór, which led to the deaths of more than a million people in mid-19th century Ireland. One is held in Ireland, the other in a city that opened its arms to some of the more than 1 million refugees who fled Ireland between 1845 and 1852. This Commemoration pays tribute to those who died, suffered or fled the starvation. It also raises awareness of the problem of chronic hunger, which now affects more than 1 billion people worldwide. On behalf of the Irish Memorial Board, we would like to thank the following:

Minister Heather Humphreys, TD Consul General Barbara Jones Secretary General Joe Hamill

Lt. Governor Mike Stack Mayor James F. Kenney Prof. Christine Kinealy and all of our Presenters Hon. Pat Dugan