Famine Memorial, Dublin

Located just east of the Custom House stands one of Dublin's most poignant and widely photographed pieces of public art: a collection of life-sized bronze sculptures crafted by sculptor Rowan Gillespie, simply titled "Famine". Unveiled in 1998, these figures were created to commemorate the devastating effects of the Great Hunger (1845–51).

The haunting and harrowed expressions on the faces of these sculptures bear witness to the perilous and unwelcome journey endured by many during that dark period. Their placement, juxtaposed against the gleaming facade of the Allied Irish Bank and gazing eastward toward the Irish Sea and, perhaps more evocatively, Britain, adds an additional layer of significance.

Throughout the years of mass starvation and disease in Ireland, the population dwindled drastically through both death (accounting for one million lives) and emigration, ultimately resulting in the halving of the country's population. In 2007, a similar set of sculptures were unveiled in Toronto, Canada, as part of Ireland Park, serving as a reminder of the global impact of this tragic chapter in history.