Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, is sending its acclaimed art collection to Ireland in 2018. The works will go to Dublin Castle and Skibbereen—diametric epicenters of the Great Famine (1845-52)— as well as Derry, for the exhibition Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger. The museum’s collection, the only one of its kind in the world, constitutes an incomparable direct link to the past of almost 6.5 million Irish and 40 million Irish-American people.
The death and dispersion of 2 million people, followed by a further 2 million emigrations to the end of the century, makes the exhibition an important gesture of cultural reconnection. The Irish diaspora defines Ireland’s place in the world today. The impact of the Famine is still with its descendants—both at home and abroad.
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Rowan Gillespie
This major undertaking aims to strengthen the deep cultural connection between Ireland and its diaspora by showcasing the world’s largest collection of Great Hunger-related art never before exhibited on Irish soil. Please join with us in making this powerful artistic, cultural and educational endeavor a memorable one.
Dublin Castle - The Coach House
Dame St
Dublin 2
Ireland
dublincastle.ie
Open daily
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre
Skibbereen
Co. Cork
Ireland
P81 VW98
t: +353 28 22090
e: info@westcorkartscentre.com
westcorkartscentre.com
Open Monday to Saturday
10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin
An tSeaneaglais (Glassworks)
37 Mórshráid Shéamais
Derry, BT48 7DF
Northern Ireland
t: +44 2871 264132
e: eolas@culturlann.org
culturlann-doire.ie
Open Tuesday to Saturday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
James Brenan
Through the museum’s collection, layers of history are peeled back to uncover aspects of the story indecipherable by other means. Above all, the artworks stand proud as powerful, reflective and inspirational expressions of who the Irish once were, and how they became the people they are today—each piece chosen for its quality as art.
Fifty pieces of art have traveled from Quinnipiac University to Ireland to create this exhibition.
John Coll
Jack B. Yeats
Artist’s Panel
Coach House, Dublin Castle, 5 p.m. and Chester Beatty Library, 6 p.m.
Tickets: €7
An artist’s panel featuring four of the artists represented in the exhibition will be held on 15th March, 2018 as part of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival. An optional tour of the exhibition at Dublin Castle’s Coach House, led by Claire Puzarne, assistant director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, will begin at 5 p.m.
The panel will take place at 6 p.m., and will be held at the Chester Beatty Library. Artists Rowan Gillespie, Bobby Ballagh, Brian Maguire, and Geraldine O’Reilly will discuss their works (on view in Coming Home) with Sheila Pratschke, the Chair of Arts Council, moderating the discussion.
Irish Premier of 'The Hunger Times' and 'Black '47'
Irish Film Institute, 6 Eustace Street, Dublin 2, 8 p.m.
Tickets: €9.50
Screening of ‘The Hunger Times’ (15 minutes), followed by ‘Black ’47’ (95 minutes).
Exploring the legacy of the Great Irish Famine and its relevance in a modern context, 'The Hunger Times' is a short film aimed at 10-13 year olds, produced by Tile Media. This is the first time that a Famine story has been told on film through the eyes of children. Filmed on location in Ireland and United States, the film was commissioned through an open competition by Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum (IGHM) at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, USA. It was funded by The Ireland Funds.
‘Black ‘47’ is a new major motion picture directed by Lance Daly. Set in Ireland during the Great Famine, the drama follows an Irish Ranger who has been fighting for the British Army abroad, as he abandons his post to reunite with his family. Despite experiencing the horrors of war, he is shocked by the famine’s destruction of his homeland and the brutalization of his homeland and the brutalization of his people and his family.
Famine Reflections - Laurence Geary
Poddle Room, Printworks Building, Dublin Castle, 11 a.m.
Tickets: free
A lecture by Laurence Geary, entitled “'The Living Were Out of Their Feeling': A Socio-Cultural Analysis of the Great Famine in Ireland," will be presented as part of the Famine Reflections speaker series. Laurence Geary is a researcher of the political and social history of nineteenth-century Ireland. His essay “‘Frightful and fearful is the havoc around me’: The Great Famine in Cork City and County” is featured in the “Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger” catalogue.
This event is sponsored by Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum and the Office of Public Works. Advanced registration is requested.
William Crozier Tour
Irish Museum of Modern Art, 6 p.m.
Tickets: free
Sean Kissane, curator at the Irish Museum of Modern Art will give a tour of the exhibition William Crozier: The Edge of the Landscape at IMMA at 6 p.m. on March 28th, 2018. Crozier’s work is also featured in Coming Home. The tour will be followed by a wine reception hosted by Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum.
Tour with the Curator
Coach House, Dublin Castle, 1 p.m.
Tickets: €5
Niamh O’Sullivan, curator of Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger, will lead a tour of the exhibition on March 29th and May 9th, 2018 at 1 p.m. in the Coach House at Dublin Castle. Niamh O’Sullivan is Professor Emeritus of Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design.
The Great Famine in Word and Song
Notre Dame Dublin Gateway, O'Connell House, 58 Merrion Square, Dublin, 6 p.m.
Tickets: free. registration required.
The Great Famine in Word and Song will feature readings, poetry and song relating to the impact of the Famine on Irish people and their cultural heritage. Topics range from contemporary experience of the disaster to more recent reflections on the catastrophe, and poems about the power of song to console and reshape the culture. Performers will include award-winning actors, musicians, writers and poets: Barry McGovern, Catriona Ní Mhurchú, Brian and Diarmuid Mac Gloin (of Ye Vagabonds), and Moya Cannon.
Convenor: Catherine Marshall
This programme, followed by a reception, is co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Dublin Gateway.
Famine Reflections - Ciarán Reilly
Gothic Room, Dublin Castle, 11 a.m.
Tickets: free
Ciarán Reilly will give a lecture entitled “Murder and the Great Famine” as part of the Famine Reflections speaker series. Ciarán Reilly is one of Ireland’s leading researchers in the area of the Great Irish Famine and Ireland’s historic houses and estates. His essay “Feasting in a Time of Famine: Dublin Castle & the Great Hunger” is featured in the “Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger” catalogue.
This event is sponsored by Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum and the Office of Public Works. Advanced registration is requested.
Famine Reflections - Luke Gibbons
Bedford Hall, Dublin Castle, 11 a.m.
Tickets: free
Luke Gibbons will speak as part of the Famine Reflections speaker series. Dr. Luke Gibbons recently published “Joyce’s Ghost: Ireland, Modernism, and Memory.”
This event is sponsored by Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum and the Office of Public Works. Advanced registration is requested.
Tour with the Curator
Coach House, Dublin Castle, 1 p.m.
Tickets: €5
Niamh O’Sullivan, curator of Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger, will lead a tour of the exhibition on March 29th and May 9th, 2018 at 1 p.m. in the Coach House at Dublin Castle. Niamh O’Sullivan is Professor Emeritus of Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design.
Green Fields of America Concert
Printworks Building, Dublin Castle, 7 p.m.
Tickets: 15 euro
2018 marks the 40th anniversary of The Green Fields of America. The group formed in 1978 in Philadelphia, and is led by musician and folklorist Mick Moloney. The band has toured some of Irish America's finest musicians and dancers. The Green Fields of America was the first group on either side of the Atlantic to bring together Irish vocal, instrumental, and dance traditions on the concert and festival stage. The group has played such venues as Carnegie Hall, Wolf Trap, The Smithsonian Institution, The Festival of American Folk life (now the Smithsonian Folk life Festival), the Milwaukee Irish Fest, and The National Folk Festival.
Famine Reflections - Christine Kinealy
President's Room, Dublin Castle, 11 a.m.
Tickets: free
Christine Kinealy will give a lecture entitled “Frederick Douglass and Ireland — a transatlantic view of poverty and oppression” as part of the Famine Reflections speaker series. Christine Kinealy is an Irish historian, author, and founding director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University.
This event is sponsored by Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum and the Office of Public Works. Advanced registration is requested.
Please check back often as more programs are posted.
Scoilnet – The Department of Education and Skills portal for Irish education. Scoilnet has produced curriculum-related digital resources to support Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger.
Free presentations and worksheets related to the exhibition are available at Scoilnet’s website:
To book for a school visit, please e-mail DublinCastleEducation@opw.ie, indicating your preferred date and time and the number of students in your class.
To support this major endeavor, please contact:
Ryan Mahoney
Executive Director
ryan.mahoney@qu.edu
203-582-6573
ighm.org
Fifty pieces from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum’s collection will be making the journey to Ireland for the Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger exhibition. To assist with professional fine art shipping costs, as well as any conservation needs, the museum has created an Adopt an Artwork program to connect prospective donors with specific and tangible needs.
As part of the adoption process, participants will receive many benefits, including a print of the piece suitable for framing, an invitation to the collection send-off party, and a credit line on the gallery label giving recognition to the adoptive sponsor throughout the exhibition’s run in Ireland.
Thank you to the following donors who have supported the exhibition by adopting atwork:
Erected in the early thirteenth century on the site of a Viking settlement, Dublin Castle served for centuries as the headquarters of English, and later British, administration in Ireland. In 1922, following Ireland’s independence, Dublin Castle was handed over to the new Irish government. It is now a major government complex and a key tourist attraction. Dublin Castle is administered by the Office of Public Works. The OPW's aim is to maintain a high standard in managing and conserving Ireland’s buildings and heritage. For more information visit dublincastle.ie.
West Cork Arts Centre was established in 1985 in Skibbereen, Co. Cork. It is a publicly funded arts facility that creates opportunities for the people of West Cork to have access to, and engagement with, local and global arts practice of excellence. It supports a multi-disciplinary arts programme with a focus on contemporary visual art . It is a resource and development agency, providing expertise and physical and human resources to assist artists, other arts organisations, groups and individuals to realise arts projects. It is committed to exploring new and innovative ways of combating the challenges facing audience development and participation, and the development of opportunities for artists, especially in relation to those located in rural communities. For more information visit westcorkartscentre.com.
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin is Derry’s primary Irish language, arts and cultural organization. Established in 1984, the organization is now one of the most dynamic, innovative and award-winning Irish language organizations anywhere in the country, delivering a range of cultural initiatives.
The mission of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is to serve the Irish people, promote their values and advance their prosperity and interests abroad, and to provide the Government with the capabilities, analysis and influence to ensure that Ireland derives the maximum benefit from all areas of its external engagement. The Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme is focused on supporting cultural, community and heritage projects that foster a vibrant sense of Irish community and identity.
The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht oversees the protection and presentation of Ireland’s heritage and cultural assets. Our goals are to promote and protect Ireland’s heritage and culture, to advance the use of the Irish language, and to support the sustainable development of the islands. The Department funds a number of State Bodies and Agencies with responsibilities relating to various aspects of the Department’s remit and works with these bodies and agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach to fulfilling the Department’s mandate.
The Ireland Funds is a global philanthropic network established in 1976 to promote and support peace, culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland, and Irish-related causes around the world. With chapters in 12 countries, The Ireland Funds has raised over $550 million for deserving causes in Ireland and beyond, benefiting more than 3,000 different organizations.
For over a half century FIP Construction has earned the trust and confidence of our clients by providing the highest level of professional service to meet project challenges and to exceed performance expectations. Effective communication, creative solutions and core philosophy of living up to our commitments drive the skilled FIP project teams’ performance in the delivery of complex and sophisticated facilities for the healthcare, industrial and commercial marketplaces. The entire FIP organization focuses on our clients’ needs and the implementation of our proven process to create predictable results.
Morgan O’Driscoll is one of Ireland’s premier specialist art auction houses and is delighted to be associated with Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum’s exhibition in Ireland.
Situated in the heart of Galway, Kennys was established in 1940 by Des & Maureen Kenny. Kennys has a renowned stock of books on Irish history, culture, literature and language, as well as a comprehensive selection of non-Irish material that covers all aspects of the human experience.
The Merrion Hotel occupies one of the finest, most beautifully restored and best located Georgian buildings in Dublin City Center.
County Cork is renowned for the quality and intrinsic value of its Arts and Heritage. Cork County Council through its Arts Office and its Heritage Unit, has for many years been offering a range of different services to ensure the promotion and enjoyment of the arts and protection of the people, places and cultural activities that make County Cork what it is today.
The Arts Council of Ireland is the Irish government agency for developing the arts. We work in partnership with artists, arts organisations, public policy makers and others to build a central place for the arts in Irish life.
Each year, RTÉ supports many local and national arts events throughout Ireland through media partnerships and widespread cultural content on Radio 1, 2fm, lyric fm, Raidio na Gaeltachta, RTÉ One and Two, across RTÉ.ie, and via RTÉ Orchestras, Quartet and Choirs.
Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger is curated by:
Niamh O’Sullivan
Professor Emerita of Visual Culture (National College of Art and Design)
Curator of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum
+353 (0)876879348
nosullivan18@gmail.com
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Niamh Mongey
Stillwater Communications
+353 (0)1 6770630
niamh@stillwater.ie
General inquiries should be directed to:
Claire Puzarne
Assistant Director and Project Manager
Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger
Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum
+001 203-582-6574
claire.puzarne@qu.edu
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