James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Lawless was voting at a select committee. He is on his way to the Chamber now. I shall be sharing time with Deputy Lawless.

In principle, Fianna Fáil supports Deputy Tóibín's Bill to establish a national Famine memorial day. Fianna Fáil established the national Famine commemoration committee some years ago and a dedicated day to remember an Gorta Mór is a natural continuation of this. We all know from our history the devastating effect of the Famine throughout our nation. There was no county or part of the country untouched by it. The Famine visited a huge collective trauma on the nation and this has travelled down through the generations and still affects our collective psychology. People went through horrific deaths and mass emigration. It did not finish on the day the Famine ended; there was a significant agricultural depression for years afterwards. It has had a very long tail in its effects on our psychology.

It is reflected in our natural generosity towards other nations and peoples when they find themselves in serious difficulties with famines and other forms of distress. Throughout the country, the Great Famine is marked by paupers' graves. I suspect there is not a county that does not have a pauper's grave. My county, Wexford, has several. During the Famine, many families and individuals had to go into workhouses, many never left alive, and they were put into these unmarked mass graves throughout the country. I want to mention the excellent work done by graveyard committees throughout the country, whether in Wexford, Louth, Mayo or Cork. These volunteers do fantastic work in every county in maintaining these graves though the people within them are, unfortunately, unmarked and forgotten. I wish to acknowledge the great work and give them the credit they deserve.

In my county, Wexford, the population dropped from 202,000 to 180,000 in a mere ten years. I know other counties were even more devastatingly affected. After that, people kept emigrating because of the agricultural depression. In Wexford, we have Johnstown Castle where there is the Irish Agricultural Museum and Famine exhibition. The Dunbrody Famine ship is in New Ross town and anybody who wants to see just what one of those ships was like can go down to New Ross, step onto that and experience it. It was a horrific experience for our nation. All our thoughts are with those people who died in such horrific circumstances.

See this speech in context