Would you have guessed this picture was taken in the United States and not Ireland? And even more surprising is that this patch of Ireland is actually in Lower Manhattan on the banks of the Hudson River.
It’s the Irish Hunger Memorial, designed by artist Brian Tolle to recognize the Great Hunger in the mid 19th century, and opened in 2002.
When you walk through a tunnel, on which various quotes from and about the Irish are inscribed on the walls, you can hear the voice of the Irish.
Recordings play continuously, as though the rocks themselves speak with the voices of our ancestors. The walls are made from ancient Irish limestone. Very cool.
What’s also cool is that every county in Ireland (32 of them) is represented by a stone. The stones actually came from those Irish counties, which is incredible when you see the size of some of them. We photographed the ones from the counties where our ancestors were born. The names of the counties are engraved on the stones. These are from Derry and Down.
Irish vegetation is planted throughout and a guide to what is what is available at the site.
It’s a beautiful memorial and a unique experience. If you find yourself in NYC, you should visit.
