The National Irish Famine Memorial—the imposing bronze tableau at Front and Chestnut—is four years old. For those of us who were there when they unveiled sculptor Glenna Goodacre’s tribute to the victims of An Gorta Mor (The Great Hunger), it seems like they only just lifted the heavy concealing drapes down at a riverside warehouse in Chester to the applause of Delaware Valley Irish-American dignitaries and the skirl of the pipes. Not long thereafter, workmen moved the statue to its current location, once again with great ceremony.
Yet we’ll gather once again Saturday morning to recall the millions who lost their lives to famine in Ireland or were forced to emigrate from their homeland. The commemoration also recognizes the accomplishments and contributions that the Irish have made to Philadelphia, to Pennsylvania and to our nation.
The hour-long ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m.
On hand will be:
Pennsylvania State Representative William F. Keller
Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street
James Donaghy, Deputy Managing Director, City of Philadelphia
CBS TV 3 anchor Larry Mendte
Irish Memorial Board Members
and members of the Irish-American community in Philadelphia, Timmy Kelly, Theresa Flanagan, McDade Irish Dancers.
Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipers, along with McDade Irish Dancers, will open the event. The ceremony will be followed by the annual tradition of planting shamrocks in a ceremonial planter and a wreath-laying at the monument.
The event will follow the Annual 5K Run to benefit the National Irish Memorial Maintenance Fund. Come early and watch the run. (It starts at 8:30 a.m.) Better yet, come out and run. For details, consult the race Web site.
