Ireland's Great Hunger Museum An Gorta Mhoir is part of Quinnipiac University located at 3011 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Connecticut. It opened in October 2012 with the largest collection of artwork, artifacts, documents, and prints related to the Irish Potato famine of 1845-1852. There are many unique pieces of art in the museum. They have photography, sculpture, paintings, prints and stained glass.
The Inaugral Exhibition has many well known artists that have drawn or sculpted their reactions to the famine in Ireland when men, women and children starved to death or died from disease caused by the blight. It has many historical British documents about the British control over Ireland at the time. Many families emigrated to nations around the world during that time. There are painting by many well known Irish sculptors, illustrators, and painters.
The museum is open on Wednesday from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 5p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free but donations are always gladly accepted.
School groups must make reservations before coming. A great place for high school and college students to learn about the famine in Ireland and some history surrounding the event. It gives visitors of all ages a chance to contemplate the cause behind this event. For more information call 203-582-6500.
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