New plaque unveiled at Roscrea's famine memorial

Pictured are Denis Ryan, Chairman, Roscrea Tidy Towns, Dick Conroy, Secretary, Roscrea Tidy Towns, Jerry Cahir, project leader of the park installation, Tadhg O’Connor, resident, Kennedy Park and Mary Conroy, Works Manager, Roscrea Tidy Towns on the unveiling of the plaque. (Photo P. J. Wright) | Local library

placeholder image — Pictured are Denis Ryan, Chairman, Roscrea Tidy Towns, Dick Conroy, Secretary, Roscrea Tidy Towns, Jerry Cahir, project leader of the park installation, Tadhg O’Connor, resident, Kennedy Park and Mary Conroy, Works Manager, Roscrea Tidy Towns on the unveiling of the plaque. (Photo P. J. Wright) | Local library

Focus on Roscrea’s Famine Memorial in Kennedy Park

Roscrea Tidy Towns recently donated some trees to enhance the a famine memorial garden and erected an explanatory plaque at the site and plans are underway for a potential commemoration event this summer.

As far back as 2004, a Memorial Garden was erected in Kennedy Park to those unfortunates who suffered during the Famine Years and later in the Workhouse nearby.

The Famine Memorial Garden at Scart, Kennedy Park, Roscrea is Phase One of a community initiative spearheaded by The Kennedy Park Development Group and Roscrea 2000 Ltd., with Jerry Cahir as its project leader.

The centrepiece of the garden is the 1842 cut stone doorway of Roscrea Workhouse now incorporated into a Memorial Arch.

When the last buildings of the original Famine workhouse on the site of the District Hospital were demolished by the Mid-Western Health Board in the early 1990s, the doorway was carefully removed and stored in Thurles.

The Health Board promised that if a suitable site was located in Roscrea they would facilitate its return.

Jerry Cahir conceived the idea of using the doorway as the centrepiece of a memorial to all those who died during Famine times in Roscrea, particularly those who are buried in the adjacent Famine graveyard.

A Mass rock, donated by the Deane family of Golden Grove Road, an iron High Cross, specially designed and crafted by Tommy Madden and sponsored by Engtek (Building and civil design managements consultants, Market Square, Roscrea), and native trees donated by Roscrea People and Fogarty Nurseries also adorn the Memorial Garden.

This year, as part of their plans, Roscrea Tidy Towns donated some trees to enhance the memorial garden and erected an explanatory plaque.

There are great plans from the local committee to hold a memorial in June. One of the guests will be the Great-Great Grandson of one of the Earl Grey Orphans who were transported to Australia from the Roscrea Workhouse.

The memorial plaque contains the following text, though not all:

This archway, the original doorway to Roscrea Workhouse, commemorates all those who died within its walls.

As many as 3,156 people died in the Roscrea Workhouse between the Famine Years of 1845 and 1852. At the height of An Gorta Mór, some 4,114 young girls from workhouses across Ireland, were chosen to travel to Australia under the Earl Grey Famine Orphan Scheme.

Of these, some 90 brave orphan girls passed under this very stone arch, leaving the hardships of the Roscrea Workhouse for the challenge of a new life on the other side of the world.

After the closure in 1930 it became the District Hospital Medical Centre until it eventually closed in the 1970s. The building was demolished in 1993 when this archway was rescued. This memorial was opened 18th April 2004.