Marita , Niamh O’Sullivan and Christine Kinealy  

It is hard to believe that it is over a year since Quinnipiac University’s ‘ Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum’ in Connecticut  kindly agreed to let a large part of its magnificent Great Hunger Art Collection travel to Ireland.

The ‘Coming Home’ Exhibition opened in March 2018 Dublin Castle to great acclaim as the public flocked to see this rich and varied art and sculpture collection, which both reflected on and reminded us on Ireland’s Great Famine.

During the summer the exhibition  moved  to The West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen, which was  one of the worst affected parts  during the famine, and in early 2019 the exhibition transferred to Culturlann Ui Chanain in Derry.

I was very privileged to take part in a few events and talks organised around the exhibition which had a rich and varied programme of drama, film, academic seminars, talks, art and workshops.

At the Legacy Dinner held at 25 Fitzwilliam Place Vice President of Quinnipiac University, Lynn Bushnell told us of us the University’s delight that the exhibition had drawn over 120,000 visitors and had generated such an interest among all ages.

The ‘Coming Home’ Art collection has now returned to its home at Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum home in Quinnipiac.

‘The shame is that Ireland hasn’t created its own Great Hunger Art Collection to remember and reflect on Ireland’s Great Famine. We have the artists and all we need is the vision to find a proper space to house such an important collection of art works.’