Hearing the footsteps of Irish Famine refugees
An international commemoration of the journey of thousands of Irish people who emigrated during the Famine took place on Wednesday 2 December.
It recalled the 165 kilometre walk that hundreds of people, including children were forced to do, from their accommodation in County Roscommon to the sailing port in Dublin.
Lissywollen played a key role on Wednesday, with participants reading stories of emigrants, and music provided by the African Irish Choir. They both feature in a short film with script written by Irish author Marita Conlon-McKenna. You can see a longer film telling the story of the Famine Walk, now marked by a series of brass shoes, here.
The film coincided with a series running on the national broadcaster about the Irish Famine, and its terrible human toll. Read about that here.
