The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE memory of more than 2,000 victims of famine and fever buried in Ennis was commemorated at the weekend.
Clare Roots Society, in conjunction with the National Famine Commemoration 2013, unveiled a Famine Memorial on Sunday to remember the burials in the Famine burial plot of the Old Drumcliff Cemetery.
Paddy Waldron, vice-chairman of the Clare Roots Society, spoke about the National Famine Commemoration and the history of the famine in Ennis and throughout the county. After a short liturgy of prayer by Fr Tom Hogan and Canon Bob Hanna the memorial was unveiled by Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine.
MC at the unveiling, John Bradley of the Clare Roots Society, told those gathered, “The commemoration of the Great Hunger allows people everywhere to reflect upon a terrible episode that forever changed Ireland”.
He added that many of the conditions that led to the famine still exist. “The lessons of the Irish famine need to be constantly learned and applied.”
Speaking to The Clare Champion, he said, “Before this there was no marking other than a piece of wood to remember those buried in the plot. There are more than 2,000 people buried in the Famine burial plot in Drumcliff and we felt that this was a fitting memorial to them, particularly with this being the year of the National Famine Commemoration in Kilrush.”
