Michael P. Kitt
Question:81 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Taoiseach the events which have been held to commemorate the Great Famine; the cost involved; and the further events, if any, to be held. [25218/96]
Written Answers. - Commemorative Events.
As Chairperson of the Government's Famine Commemoration Committee I have been privileged to fund numerous events and projects commemorating the Great Famine in Ireland and abroad.
At local level my committee has supported the following events and projects:
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£ |
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|
Antrim |
Renovate Friar's Bush Famine Cemetery, Stranmillis Road, Belfast |
1,000.00 |
|
Carlow |
Self Help International — Eritrea Potato Seed Famine Relief Project £11,500.00 [a potato and maize seed project, by the Carlow based Self Help International organisation, with particular emphasis on providing food security in Eritrea through the cultivation of potatoes from the seed of the potato flower rather than from seed potatoes.] |
11,500.00 |
|
Teagasc Famine Relief Potato Blight Resistance Research Project. Teagasc involvement in research work to breed blight resistant potatoes in the context of the work of the International Potato Centre, in Mexico. |
30,000.00 |
|
|
Clare |
Renovate Famine Burial Ground, Tuamgraney, |
1,000.00 |
|
Cork |
Renovate St. Mary's Famine Graveyard, Thurles |
1,000.00 |
|
Renovate Carr's Hill Famine Cemetery, Cork |
1,000.00 |
|
|
Renovate Bandon Famine Graveyard |
1,000.00 |
|
|
Publication of Irish Language Famine Manuscripts |
150.00 |
|
|
Donegal |
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Donegal Town |
1,000.00 |
|
Dublin |
Gary White Deer Painting (proceeds donated to Concern Famine Relief) |
10,000.00 |
|
APCK booklet on the Famine |
500.00 |
|
|
Women's Archive Famine Exhibition |
15,000.00 |
|
|
Blanchardstown Famine Oratorio |
2,500.00 |
|
|
Great Irish Famine Event |
10,000.00 |
|
|
Charlie Lennon Famine Suite |
5,000.00 |
|
|
Fermanagh |
Fermanagh Famine Memorial |
5,000.00 |
|
Galway |
Goodtime Productions Tour of Famine Drama |
2,000.00 |
|
Kerry |
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Teampaillin Ban, Listowel |
1,000.00 |
|
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Dingle Workhouse |
1,000.00 |
|
|
Kildare |
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Celbridge |
1,000.00 |
|
Publication of Famine Sites Atlas, Tullamore Famine Committee |
5,000.00 |
|
|
Leitrim |
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Carrick-on-Shannon |
1,000.00 |
|
Renovate St. Mary's Church “Famine Graveyard”, Mohill |
1,000.00 |
|
|
Limerick |
Renovate Kildorrery Famine Graveyard |
1,000.00 |
|
Renovation of Famine Village, Knockfierna |
5,000.00 |
|
|
Longford |
Renovate Famine Cemetery, St. Joseph's Hospital, Longford |
1,000.00 |
|
Mayo |
George Moore Society Famine Art Exhibition |
5,000.00 |
|
Meath |
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Dunshaughlin |
1,000.00 |
|
Monaghan |
Renovate Famine Graveyard, Clones |
1,000.00 |
|
Roscommon |
Strokestown Famine Museum (Conference, Education Pack) |
10,000.00 |
|
Famine Archaeological Excavation, Gorttoose |
2,500.00 |
|
|
Waterford |
Renovate Reilig A'tSle Famine Graveyard, Dungarvan |
1,000.00 |
|
Publication of Society of Friends Famine Transactions |
5,000.00 |
|
|
Wexford |
Famine Memorial in Ballygarrett Cemetery, County Wexford |
1,000.00 |
|
At national level my committee has supported the following: |
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RTE Famine T.V. Documentary |
79,562,04 |
|
|
National Famine History Research Project (total cost £115,000) |
50,537.04 |
|
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This finance is supporting studies in the following counties: Mayo; Cork; Fermanagh; Tipperary; Clare; Wicklow; Donegal; Dublin (City) and Offaly |
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|
Schools Famine Essay Competition prizes |
5,291.25 |
|
|
Prizes were awarded to pupils in winning schools in counties Kildare and Tipperary |
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My committee has also supported the following projects abroad: |
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Ethiopia |
Ethiopian Famine Food Reserve Project support for the Ethiopian Government's National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness project to provide capacity and infrastructure (ie. storage silos for grains in remote areas. |
50,030.00 |
|
Lesotho |
Lesotho Famine Water Relief project provision of a water supply and sanitation, in Lesotho, to relieve severe drought conditions. |
15,030.00 |
|
Britain |
Liverpool Famine Memorial |
5,000.00 |
|
Liverpool Famine Art Exhibition |
1,457.02 |
|
|
Liverpool Commemoration Concert |
45,299.16 |
|
|
Glasgow — Feis Ghlaschu Famine Essay Prize |
193.74 |
|
|
Australia/ New Zealand |
Famine Commemoration concert and lecture tour (taking in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in Australia and in New Zealand, participation, with the Prime Minister Mr Jim Bolger, in an eve of St. Patrick's Day function, and other St. Patrick's Day functions.). |
85,141.80 |
|
USA/Canada |
Famine Commemoration lecture tour (taking in Chicago, South Bend, Indiana, San Francisco, San Diego, Washington, New York JFK, Boston and Montreal) |
4,000.00 |
Further events:
The national famine commemoration committee has chosen a magnificent site for the national famine memorial at Murrisk in County Mayo, in the shadow of Croagh Patrick and overlooking Clew Bay. The memorial will consist of a very fine and moving sculpture by John Behan entitled "The Coffin Ship" which we hope to have installed in July of this year. Having examined many sites suggested to us, we chose the beautiful setting of Murrisk and we feel that it is entirely fitting that the national famine memorial should be located in the west of Ireland, which suffered most during the Famine with one in four of the population of Connaught dying in those terrible years.
The events which the Government proposes to organise or contribute to include: a major international conference on the Famine in Dublin Castle on 9 and 10 May; the Great Irish Famine Event; a set of stamps commemorating the Famine to issue in May; publication of an atlas of Famine sites of Ireland; publication of a book of Irish Famine Manuscripts; an ecumenical service; a photographic exhibition; and continuing programme of support for the renovation of Famine graveyards e.g. Swinford.