Boston Holds Irish Famine Commemoration on Sunday, May 18, 2014

Irish-American leaders from Massachusetts and New England are gathering at the Boston Irish Famine Memorial in downtown Boston on Sunday, May 18, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. to commemorate those who suffered in the 19th Irish Famine.

The event, organized by the Boston division of the Massachusetts Ancient Order of Hibernians, will include a prayer service and moment of silence.

The memorial was unveiled on June 28, 1998, as part of the 150th anniversary commemorations of An Gorta Mor (the Great Hunger), which killed nearly one million Irish and sent nearly two million into exile. Many of them fled to Boston, transforming the city. The project was headed by the late Tom Flatley.

The Irish Famine Memorial is along Boston's Irish Heritage Trail, a walking tour of Irish landmarks that convey over 300 years of Boston Irish history.

For information about year round Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

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