Firstly, the conceptualisation of Rowan Gillespie’s Famine memorial, unveiled on the 29th of May, 1997, can be understood as a public dedicatory piece of work to those most plagued by the Great Famine’s malice. The skeletal and atrophied seven figures, cast in unpolished bronze, embodies the undisputable melancholy and hopelessness bestowed upon those most affected by the Famine, triggering an emotional and affectionate response to those who view it. The memorial, essentially, depicts mass suffering but it cannot be helped that a glimmer of hope can be felt amongst the forsaken figures as they look ahead, turning their backs on their ravaged former homes, moving towards potential atonement. It is interesting to note that the elation this monument
