Dedication of the Western New York Irish Famine Commemoration Monument, August 23, 1997

Western New York's Irish-American community dedicated its monument to the victims of Ireland's Great Famine of 150 years ago in ceremonies Aug. 23 on Buffalo NY's waterfront. The stark stone monument is at the foot of La Rivière Street on a slight rise at the edge of Erie Basin. The site is ringed by trees and is separated from Erie Basin by a walkway. The monument serves two purposes, according to Chuck Treanor, president of the sponsoring Western New York Irish Famine Commemoration Committee.

"First, it commemorates the millions of people who suffered and died in the Famine years. This monument is part of the world-wide observance of the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine. And it also honors the many people who came to Buffalo to form the present Irish community."

A procession led by the Erie County Sheriff's Department Pipe Band marked the start of the dedication ceremonies on Saturday, August 23, 1997.

Other highlights of the morning, according to Mike Flynn, master of ceremonies for the event, included:

The singing of the U.S. and Irish national anthems. Patricia DeLaney Coppola of the Town of Tonawanda will sing the Star Spangled Banner and Bill O'Connell of the Olean Ancient Order of Hibernians will sing the Soldier's Song.

A blessing by the Rev.William Roche, chaplain of the United Irish-American Association.

A description by Chuck Treanor of the committee's efforts to build the monument. He also will recognize the committee's 18 founding organizations.

A talk on world hunger by Erie County Sheriff Tom Higgins.

Dedication of the memorial by the Most Rev. Henry J. Mansell, bishop of Buffalo

The singing God Bless America, led by Common Council Member Bonnie Kane Lockwood.

Also attending the ceremonies were a delegation from Cork City, Ireland, including Lord Mayor David McCarthy, City Manager Jack Higgins, Chief Legal Officer David O'Hagan, and City Engineer Brian Parsons. Cork provided invaluable assistance with the monument.

The monument, designed by Rob Ferguson, combines tradition with symbolism. A 12-foot-tall granite stone is the key element, recalling the ancient standing stones that dot Ireland. The stone is set in a well to symbolize the great silence that fell upon Ireland when the Famine struck. Fanning out from the monolith is a field of granite memorial stones inscribed with the names of individuals or families. It was the sale of those stones that provided much of the funding for the project. Forming the outer ring of the monument are 32 limestone blocks, representing Ireland's 32 counties, and four larger blocks representing the four provinces.

The monument carries two inscriptions, one in Irish and one in English. Engraved in the stone around the edge of the well is this verse by local poet Tim Daly:

Our hearts are with them in the Earth, and they with us within our hearts. Now we, together, live forever. We are the harvest of the blight, let us not fail our seed.

A plaque at the base of the central stone is inscribed in Irish with a verse from the Book of Luke. Translated, it reads: "If they were to keep silence, I tell you the very stones would cry out."

The city of Cork donated the monument's 36 rough-hewn limestone blocks. For more than 100 years those blocks were part of Penrose Quay in Cork harbor, where so many Irish took their last step in Ireland. The standing stone is from Carraroe, County Galway.

More than 800 memorial stones have been reserved. The stones are still being sold. Each stone costs $125. Information forms are available by mail from Craig Speers, Treasurer, 140 Winston Road, Buffalo, N.Y. 14216. Most of the larger stones have been sponsored. Each will have a plaque with the name of the donor organization or individual. A few of the stones are still available, at $1,000 each.

The monument is near what was once the western end of the Erie Canal, a major route from the ports of the Northeast to the American Frontier. Buffalo played an important role in the lives of refugees from the Famine. Many settled in this area. For many more, Buffalo was the gateway to new lives farther west.

The Famine began in August 1845 as a blight began killing the sole subsistence crop, the potato, and the Irish people fell victim to catastrophe. During the next five years about 1 million Irish people died of starvation or disease and another million were forced to leave Ireland.

The committee is sponsoring a Famine Mass to commemorate each of the five years of the Great Famine, 1845 to 1850. Each memorial Mass features Irish music, poetry readings and the recitation of the Lord's Prayer in Irish. The Mass for 1997 was October 4 at Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna.

The committee also is working to fight the hunger that continues to plague Western New York and the world. As a living memorial to the Famine victims, committee members collect food and cash at each public event for hunger relief. Since that aspect of the committee's Famine commemoration began, hundreds of dollars and hundreds of pounds of food have been collected for the Western New York Food Bank.

The Western New York Irish Famine Commemoration Committee is a non-profit organization in the State of New York. For more information contact: Edward J. Patton, The Western New York Irish Famine Commemoration Committee, P.O. Box 192, Buffalo, N.Y. 14208-0192. The telephone number is (716) 662-4300.