Ireland Park Canadian Irish famine memorial

President Mary McAleese will unveil this month a famine memorial to be known as Ireland Park in Toronto, Canada.
During the President's official visit to Canada this month, on June 21 President McAleese will perform the opening ceremony dedicated to the memory of at least 38,000 Irish people who fled to the city from the Famine in 1847.
Ireland Park includes sculptures and a giant wall with inscribed names, is on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Irish Ambassador to Canada, Declan Kelly will attend and The Celtic Tenors are due to perform. Live music events are also planned around the opening of the Park including a performance by the 140-member Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Mrs McAleese will later be guest of honour at a gala dinner held in the Royal Ontario Museum. The sculptures were created by Dublin sculptor Rowan Gillespie, who created the Famine Memorial on Custom House Quay in Dublin.
"Irish emigrants who arrived in 1847 went on to play a major role in the growth and success of Toronto, Ireland Park is a celebration of this achievement. From the horror of the Famine years in the 1840s to the vibrant community of today, the park bears witness to the determination of a people to overcome adversity." said a spokesman for the monument.
Funds for Ireland Park were raised by many groups including the Ireland Fund of Canada. Toronto City Council granted permission for Ireland Park in July 2000.

Famine or feast
The Irish in America before the Famine

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Ireland Park Canadian Irish famine memorial