Glasgow’s first dedicated memorial to the dead and displaced of An Gorta Mór has been recognised in the Scottish Parliament.
Following the unveiling of The Tower of Silence on Sunday 25 July, Paul Sweeney MSP lodged a motion on Tuesday 27 July congratulating the community for this significant milestone. Echoing those who spoke at the unveiling event, the motion thanks Canon Tom White for providing a fitting site for the memorial and “recognises the economic, social and cultural contribution that the Irish diaspora have made to Glasgow and Scotland”. Further to the moving speech made by Jeanette Findlay, Chair of An Coiste Cuimhneacháin An Gorta Mór, the motion also commits to welcome all those fleeing to Scotland in our own time seeking shelter from war, famine, oppression and desperation.
A full replay of the event will be available to view at www.westreamitservices.co.uk/mor until 28 days following the unveiling.
A selection of photos from the day are now available in our online photo gallery.
Thank you once again to all those who contributed to the long process of commemorating our ancestors.
Fantastic and emotional day, well done to everyone who organised and donated 👏👏👏, still sad it took so long for this to be done in Scotland, once again I applaud all those who took part, and those that are no longer with us 🙏. Your memory will live forever 🇮🇪🏴
This is a wonderful achievement long overdue. We will never forget our ancestors who came to a very unwelcome Scotland. When we pass this beautiful memorial, we will say a prayer for them. Maith thú!
Staggering yet unsurprising that 170 years on from an Gorta Mor, one of the closest cities to “welcome” our diaspora is only now recognising our, all too easily forgotten, ancestors.
Poignant that St Mary’s should be the host of such a fine memorial but disgraceful that this was as result of no civic space being offered by GCC, again unsurprising.
I am sure the fine people of the Calton will watch over the Tower of Silence in the years to come.
scíth a ligean to all that have gone before us, may your descendants be more welcoming Glaswegians than those that you encountered all those years ago.
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