Most of the works of art I have discovered in Dublin have been by pure chance. The same thing happened to me with The Famine Memorial as with the Peace Tree in St. Annes Park (check it out in this post). I discovered it unintentionally while walking through the city, along the Liffey on the Custom House Quays. I was shocked to discover such a powerful work of art. What makes this piece unique is that it does not hide, it shows the crudeness of a historical episode that marked Ireland without ornaments or decorations in the middle of the street while making itself stand out among today’s industrialized world. The work is composed of five life-size human figures, malnourished, and dressed in rags. Their facial expressions paint their pain, they are looking into a void, bewildered. Famine (its official name) was created by Rowan Gillespie to commemorate the victims of the Great Irish Famine. It was unveiled to the city of Dublin in 1997. After some investigation, I discovered that Famine represents the Irish population walking towards boats in order to emigrate and escape the famine that devastated the country in the 19th century.

It is located in the middle of the street and it does not cost money to visit so in my opinion it is a must-see work of art if one visits the city of Dublin, not only for the careful execution of the sculptures but also for the historical importance they have.