The Irish Hunger Memorial is located at Battery Park City, directly across from the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Lower Manhattan. Designed by Brian Tolle, it was created to raise public awareness of the Irish Famine of 1845-1852 during which an estimated one and a half million Irish perished from disease and starvation. During that time, as their potato crops collapsed and the government failed to respond, hundreds of thousands of Irish emigrated to the USA. Their profound impact on American culture continues to this day. This memorial is striking, both structurally and visually. The entire half-acre park is cantilevered over a stratified base of glass and fossilized Irish limestone. An authentic Famine-era cottage, imported from County Mayo, Ireland and carefully reconstructed, serves as the memorial’s entrance. From there, guests can wander along paths, bending through a jagged landscape through native Irish plants, to a twenty five foot summit lookout with views of the World Trade Center, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 16:11:57 +0000
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