Éamon Ó Cuív TD, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, today chaired the inaugural meeting of the National Famine Commemoration Committee.
This meeting arose from the first National Famine Commemoration Day, which was held on 25 May 2008, when John Curran TD, Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, hosted an official reception in the Custom House to complement a community event held in Dublin on that day, marking the Great Famine. At this reception, Minister Curran announced that a National Famine Commemoration Committee was to be established.
The main objective of the Committee is to consider the most appropriate arrangement for future national commemorations of the Great Famine. The general legacy of emigration, cultural loss and the decline of the Irish language, together with the specific issues of food security and the strong commitment of the Irish people to humanitarian aid and relief, are particular themes that will be explored by the Committee during its work. In the context of the Irish Diaspora, it is envisaged that the Committee will consider means through which this aspect of the Famine might appropriately be recognised, and the extraordinary contributions of those who emigrated, and of their many descendants abroad, justly celebrated.
Membership of the Committee includes a range of parties, including representatives of relevant Government and non-Government organisations, as well as individuals with particular interests or expertise in relevant issues. A list of the membership is attached.
The members of the Committee will be asked to serve for an initial period of two years, at which point the terms of reference and membership of the Committee will be reviewed. Minister Ó Cuív expressed his sincere thanks to the Committee members for their participation. He said, “There is nothing else in the history of the Irish people than can be likened to the Great Famine, either for its immediate impact or its legacy. The involvement of this Committee will help to ensure that the Famine, its victims and its legacy are not forgotten.”
MEMBERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL FAMINE MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
The Committee will also include representatives of the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.