30th annual Famine Graveyard event draws largest crowd in its history

The annual commemoration at the Famine Graveyard in Mullingar last week marked the 30th event since a Famine Walk held on May 22, 1994 led to a renewed interest in the area and the subject, locally.

Historian Seamus O’Brien was among a number who addressed what he said was the largest crowd in the 30 years, at the graveyard next to the canal supply line on Wednesday evening last, and he praised those who were present that day in 1994, many of whom have since passed on.

The evening began with an address by Des Walsh, chairperson of Mullingar Famine Graveyard Committee, in which he recalled the contribution of deceased members, including Christina Mohan, RIP. Members of the current committee present included Millie Walsh and Mr O’Brien (not present, Owen Corrigan).

Prayers are, of course, at the core of the commemoration and they were led by Seminarian Jack Kristensen, Fr Barry White, Fr Norman Allred, Mullingar Parish, and Canon Patrick Lawrence, representing the Church of Ireland. Some of the people present read the decades of the Rosary.

Music was by Dick Hogan, Gerry Doran, Roisin Gaffney, and Val Connaughton, a member of the Moate Historical Society, who played a lonesome piece written by the harpist Turlough O’Carolan, who was born in Nobber, County Meath in 1670, the son of a blacksmith.

Before playing Planxty Irwin, which O’Carolan composed for John Irwin of Ballisodare, Sligo, Val gave a brief summary of O’Carolan’s life. He said: “While Turlough O’Carolan died in 1738, predeceased by his wife in 1733, his tunes were very much alive during the Famine times and perhaps some of those tunes were played, not on a harp, but on a tin whistle or a melodeon, at an American wake or on arrival in America among those who survived the journey.

“It’s great to think that those tunes are still alive today, and I’d like to give you a rendition of Planxty Irwin.”

Following the prayers, Róisin Gaffney sang ‘The Hungry Cry’, which she wrote in 2012 after a visit to the Famine Graveyard.

Seamus O’Brien then gave some of the history of the commemoration event. He said it began with a Famine walk from the Hevey Institute to the graveyard, “and sometimes one action precipitates something superb and that’s what happened here”.

“The person leading that walk that day was a tall man, Fr Denis Nulty, who’s now a bishop in my home county of Carlow, and hundreds of men, women and children came down Bishopsgate Street, Harbour Street, out by the workhouse, where thousands were incarcerated during the Famine, up here to the graveyard, and it was a really important moment, and here’s why.

“For 150 years prior to that, this field here was neglected, ignored and disrespected; it was a poundage, there were stray horses grazing on it. It was unfenced, unkempt, in a terrible state. We tried several stratagems to get the horses out and Fr Nulty came to our rescue again – he informed the owners they’d never have a day’s luck unless the horses were taken out immediately, and they haven’t been back since!

“I’d like to remember some of those who were involved in that: Micheal O Conluain, one of the great local historians from this area, who did all the original research on the Famine (locally) and has now gone to his rest. There were lots of other people as well, Christy Neary, Tony Cotter, Br Hannigan, Mrs Mohan Fagan, Seámus Ó Faoláin, all gone, but all involved in the project here.

“As I said, one action precipitated marvellous things and since then, we haven’t missed a year’s commemoration here in the graveyard and the people here, who were ignored and neglected in the past, have, really importantly, been brought back into the community again. They’re remembered every year, their burial place is cared for.

“There has been a reevaluation and a new understanding of the Famine. People thought the Famine had never occurred in Mullingar, but, of course, every place has its own Famine story.”

Seamus said that artists have been drawn to the Famine Graveyard, “to this beautiful place”. He paid tribute to Mary J McCormack, whose sculpture was on display at the event; Lorna Farrell, whose painting ‘Weeping Ash, Robinstown’ is in Seamus’s book about the Famine in this area; Nuala Gorman, and Roisin Gaffney.

He concluded: “So it’s really an important development that has been maintained for 30 years. We’ve made good progress, we’ve fenced it, put in gates, put up an information board and, as Des (Walsh) said, we have further plans to complete the task. We hope to put access around the edge, to facilitate all people, including those with limited mobility, to have seats where visitors can rest and reflect, and a Famine sculpture. That’s our plan and we hope to work closely with Westmeath County Council to do that.”