Tony Gregory
Question:77 Mr. Gregory asked the Taoiseach the items on which the funds available to the Great Famine Commemoration were spent. [4806/97]
Written Answers. - Famine Commemoration.
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 |
Renovation of Friar's Bush Famine Cemetery, Stranmillis Road, Belfast |
1,000.00 |
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Carlow |
Self Help International — Eritrea Potato Seed Famine Relief Project [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 |
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Teagasc Famine Relief Potato Blight Resistance Research Project [Teagasc involve- ment in research work to breed blight resistant potatoes in the context of the work of the International Potato Centre, in Mexico.] |
30,000.00 |
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|
Clare |
Renovation of Famine Burial Ground, Tuamgraney |
1,000.00 |
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Cork |
Renovation of St. Mary's Famine Graveyard, Thurles |
1,000.00 |
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Renovation of Carr's Hill Famine Cemetery, Cork |
1,000.00 |
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Renovation of Bandon Famine Graveyard |
1,000.00 |
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Publication of Irish Language Famine Manuscripts |
150.00 |
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Renovation of Kildonnery Famine Graveyard |
1,000.00 |
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Donegal |
Renovation of Famine Graveyard, Donegal Town |
1,000.00 |
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Dublin |
Gary White Deer Painting(proceeds donated to Concern Famine relief) |
10,000.00 |
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A.P.C.K. booklet on the Famine |
500.00 |
|
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Women's Archive Famine Exhibition |
15,000.00 |
|
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Blanchardstown Famine Oratorio |
2,500.00 |
|
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Great Irish Famine Event |
10,000.00 |
|
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Charlie Lennon Famine Suite |
5,000.00 |
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Fermanagh |
Fermanagh Famine Memorial |
5,000.00 |
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Galway |
Goodtime Productions Tour of Famine Drama |
2,000.00 |
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Kerry |
Renovation of Famine Graveyard, Teampaillin Ban, Listowel |
1,000.00 |
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Renovation of Famine Graveyard, Dingle Workhouse |
1,000.00 |
|
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Kildare |
Renovation of Famine Graveyard, Celbridge |
1,000.00 |
|
Publication of Famine sites Atlas, Tullamore Famine Committee |
5,000.00 |
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Leitrim |
Renovation of Famine Graveyard, Carrick-on-Shannon |
1,000.00 |
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Renovation of St. Mary's Church “Famine Graveyard”, Mohill |
1,000.00 |
|
|
Limerick |
Renovation of Famine Village, Knockfierna |
5,000.00 |
|
Longford |
Renovation of 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 |
Renovation Famine Graveyard, Clones |
1,000.00 |
|
Roscommon |
Strokestown Famine Museum (Conference, Education Pack) |
10,000.00 |
|
Famine Archaeological Excavation, Gorttoose |
2,500.00 |
|
|
Waterford |
Renovation of Reilig A'tSle Famine Graveyard, Dungarvan |
1,000.00 |
|
Publication of Society of Friends Famine Transactions |
5,000.00 |
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Wexford |
Famine Memorial in Ballygarrett Cemetery, Co. Wexford |
1,000.00 |
At national level my committee has supported the following:
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£ |
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RTE Famine TV Documentary |
79,562.04 |
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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: |
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County Mayo; |
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County Cork; |
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County Fermanagh; |
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County Tipperary; |
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County Clare; |
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County Wicklow; |
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County Donegal; |
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Dublin (City); |
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County Offaly. |
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Schools Famine Essay Competition prizes |
5,291.25 |
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Prizes were awarded to pupils in winning schools in: |
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County Kildare, |
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County Tipperary. |
My committee has also supported the following projects abroad:
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£ |
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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 (i.e. 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 |
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Britain |
Liverpool Famine Memorial |
5,000.00 |
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Liverpool Famine Art Exhibition |
1,457.02 |
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Liverpool Commemoration Concert |
45,299.16 |
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Glasgow — Feis Ghlaschú Famine Essay Prize |
193.74 |
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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 |
|
U.S.A./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 Government's Famine Commemoration Committee has chosen a site for the national famine memorial at Murrisk in County Mayo. The memorial itself will consist of a very fine and moving sculpture by John Behan entitled "The Coffin Ship" which will be unveiled on 20 July 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 Connacht dying in those terrible years.
The events which the Government propose 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 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).