Special project launched in Sion to commemorate the Irish Famine

THE Sion Mills Buildings Preservation Trust is launching a special project to commemorate the Great Irish Famine.

A heritage talk by Dr Niamh Brennan, titled ‘Reflections on the Great Famine,’ will take place tomorrow, March 20, at The Stables, Sion Mills, marking the start of a series of events that explore this pivotal period in Irish history.

The Great Famine, which occurred between 1845 and 1852, remains one of the most significant events in Ireland’s history.

It was caused by a blight that devastated the potato crop, a vital food source for 40 per-cent of the population.

Ireland’s reliance on potatoes and its largely rural economy made the country particularly vulnerable.

When the blight struck, millions of tenant farmers, many without security of tenure, faced the devastating impact of crop failure, eviction, and homelessness.

The government’s relief efforts, including soup kitchens and workhouses, were insufficient, and the death toll from starvation and disease rose to over a million, with another million emigrating in search of a better life.

To reflect on the profound impact of the famine, the Sion Mills Buildings Preservation Trust is organising several events.

These include an exhibition on the famine which opened this week at The Stables, and a bus trip to the County Donegal Famine Heritage Centre on Saturday, March 22.

In addition to Dr Brennan’s talk, the Trust will host another talk: ‘Sion Mills and District during the Great Famine’ on Thursday, April 17.

Dr Brennan, the County Donegal archivist, has conducted extensive research into the role of workhouses during the famine, a subject that will be highlighted in the exhibition and her talk.