Old City in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Irish Memorial
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Leacht Cuimhneacháin na nGael
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 22, 2017
1. The Irish Memorial / Leacht Cuimhneacháin na nGael Marker
Erected to commemorate An Gorta Mór - Ireland's Great Hunger of 1845 - 1850 when more than one million Irish were starved to death and another million forced to emigrate. We celebrate the indefatigable spirit of the Irish that enabled them to triumph over tragedy. with the opportunity to use their innate talents in a free country, the survivors and their descendants contributed in great measure to the development of this nation.
Remembrance Peter Quinn
The hunger ended
but it never went away
It was there in silent memories,
from one generation
to the next,
The time to take away
the silence has come,
to commemorate,
to mourne what was lost
to celebrate what survives-
without apology or fear.
We have it in our power
not only to remember
what took place but to relive it…
To find in the hungry and lost,
not a different race…
but the faces of our ancestors…
An image of ourselves.
Erected 2002 by Concerned Citizens and Organizations; Glenna Goodacre, Sculptor.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Immigration • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Passage and Emigration (a few steps from this marker); Starvation (a few steps from this marker); The Irish in America (a few steps from this marker); The Lessons of The Great Hunger (a few steps from this marker); The Potato Blight - Its Origin (a few steps from this marker); Arrival and Reception (a few steps from this marker); An Gorta Mór - Ireland's Great Hunger (a few steps from this marker); Ireland's Past - A Prelude to Disaster (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
Also see . . .
1. The Irish Memorial [Philadelphia]. (Submitted on March 30, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. The Irish in America: The Long Journey: The Great Hunger (Documentary on YouTube). (Submitted on March 30, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America. (Submitted on April 1, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
2. The Irish Memorial / Leacht Cuimhneacháin na nGael
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
3. Famine Detail on The Irish Memorial Sculpture
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
4. Starvation or Emigration Detail on The Irish Memorial Sculpture
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
5. Arrival in a New World Detail on the Irish Memorial
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 26, 2025
6. The Irish Memorial / Leacht Cuimhneacháin na nGael
Sculpture from the other side.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
7. The Irish Memorial / Leacht Cuimhneacháin na nGael
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 26, 2025
9. Additional dedication plaques for the memorial
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 26, 2025
10. Additional dedication plaques for the memorial
Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,186 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 30, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 28, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 6. submitted on November 28, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 7. submitted on March 28, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 8, 9, 10. submitted on November 28, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
