Great Hunger Memorial
V.E. Macy Park
Artist: Eamonn O’Doherty
Commissioned by: Great Hunger Foundation and Memorial Committee

Inscriptions
Sign 1: Great Hunger / Memorial / Westchester County Parks / Recreation Conservation

Sign 2: The Westchester hunger memorial / dedicated June 26th 2001 /
This memorial was erected through the combined efforts / of many Westchester County residents. / It is the work of renowned Irish sculptor, Eamonn O’Doherty. / The monument depicts the time “AN GORTA MOR’ / translated into The Great Hunger in Ireland from 1845 – 1851. / During this time, out of the population of approximately 8.5 million / people, 1.5 million Irish people starved to death or died of related / diseases and 2 million were forced to emigrate. / This tragedy happened at a time where mass quantities of food were / being stockpiled and exported by the English government to England. /

It is hoped that this monument will serve as a reminder that / never again should hunger persist in the midst of plenty!
Parks/ Westchester County/ Westchester/ gov.com

Plaque: The Great Hunger Memorial / of Westchester County /
For several hundred years the Irish suffered religious, political, and ethnic persecution, / and through expropriation and exploitation had become totally dependent on the / potato. / During “An Gorta Mór”, The Great Hunger of 1845-1851, the potato crop failed and starvation swept the country. / Other crops were not affected but were withheld from / the peasantry. / While millions starved, an abundance of food was exported for / commerce. / Tragically, this situation still exists in the world today. / More than one million died of starvation and three times that number chose or were / forced to emigrate. The great majority came to America where they contributed / greatly to the economic, cultural and political life of the new land. Ireland’s loss was / America’s gain. / This monument is dedicated to those who emigrated to Westchester County and to the / dispossessed of all countries who strive together for the ideals of freedom and / equality in the land of liberty. /

Executive Committee / Patricia Brennan Scova / Tom Connor / Brother Harry Dunlak / James Dunlavey / Hugh Finnegan / Hugh Fox Jr. / James J. Houlihan / John McCarthy / Eleanor McDonald / Patricia McEvoy / Hon. Lou Mosiello / Liam Murphy / Msgr. James J. Murray / Maureen Redmond / Hon. Andrew Spano

The site for this monument and other generous assistance was provided by the Parks / Department of Westchester County. / The General Contractors were Scully Construction, White Plains. / The fossil limestone paving is from the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, Ireland. / Bronze work by C.A.S.T. Ltd. Foundry, Dublin, Ireland.

Architect, James Dunlavey  Sculptor, Eamonn O’Doherty

[Three additional bronze plaques feature extensive donor lists.]