Proposal for Laois town to host national commemoration day for The Great Famine

It has been proposed that Abbeyleix host The Irish Famine Commemoration Day next year. 

The Irish Famine Commemoration Day is a major event held in May each year to mark and reflect on the impact and legacy of the Great Famine. The main national event rotates across the country every year, with Kilmallock in County Limerick hosting this year's events.

Cllr Marie Tuohy put forth the motion that Abbeyleix host The Irish Famine Commemoration Day in May 2026 at the November meeting of Laois County Council.

Cllr Tuohy emphasised that Abbeyleix is perfectly placed and ready to host next year's commemorative events, saying: "Abbeyleix stands as one of the most historically fitting and symbolically powerful places in Laois to host the annual Famine commemoration."

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The Portlaoise MD councillor argued that Abbeyleix has continuously made great efforts to commemorate the events of The Famine through a number of different ways.

She said: "During the Famine, Abbeyleix suffered the same hunger, hardship and loss that swept the country. The De Vesci family are remembered locally for their active role in helping the population during the famine. The fountain in Market Square stands as a memorial. The Tonduff Cillin and the Gate to Heaven are ancient burial sites which are now marked and honoured.

"The memorial stone and reflection seat at the back of the hospital marks history including the life of a 6-year-old boy. The 6-year-old boy, John Fitzgerald, died of hunger and neglect on the roadside on the 31st May 1886. He was seen days before his death, frail and failing in his mother's arms.

"Let's be clear, the Famine didn't end in 1852, it lingered in the lives of the poor, displaced and the forgotten. Abbeyleix wasn't just a place of suffering in the 1840s, it remained witness to its aftermath for decades."

Cllr Tuohy told the council that their efforts should be recognised by selecting them as the 2026 venue to host The Irish Famine Commemoration Day next May.

She concluded: "Let Abbeyleix be the place where Ireland gathers to remember."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme