On Saturday, June 14, a deeply moving ceremony took place at Macdonald Gardens Park to unveil the Irish Famine Memorial, marking Ottawa’s place on the Global Irish Famine Way.

The unveiling of the bronze shoes—iconic to Ireland’s National Famine Way—honours the journey of the Irish famine emigrants who arrived in Bytown in 1847, and the remarkable compassion shown by the local community in their time of need.

The programme began with opening music by Deborah Quigley and a traditional Irish lament performed by Ellen MacIsaac, followed by a moving message from Algonquin Elder Claudette Commanda and a reading in the Irish language by Oscar Mou.

Thank you to Caroilin Callery, founder of National and Global Famine Way who travelled to Ottawa for the unveiling.  Keynote speakers included: His Worship Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa, His Excellency John Concannon, Ireland’s Ambassador to Canada, Hon. James Maloney, M.P. and Chair of the Canada-Ireland Interparliamentary Group, Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, Bay Ward. Remarks will also be shared by: Kay O’Hegarty, Irish Seniors Social Group of Ottawa, Nicolas McCarthy, Beechwood Cemetery Foundation, Prof. Mark McGowan, University of Toronto with Dr. Eamonn McKee, Former Ambassador of Ireland to Canada. Joined by Bryan O’Gallagher, Ireland’s honorary consul to Québec.

Musical interludes and commemorative performances were delivered by the Ottawa Celtic Choir, Kevin Dooley, Donald MacDonald, and Margaret Harvey-O’Kelly, who will read Quarantine by the late Irish poet Eavan Boland.

The event was a solemn and inspiring reminder of the enduring ties between Canada and Ireland, and the shared history that continues to connect our peoples across generations and oceans.

Macdonald Gardens Park was formerly the Sandy Hill Cemetery, a burial site for hundreds of Irish typhus victims who fled famine in 1847. Though the site was converted to a park in the late 1800s, this memorial marks the first official recognition of the sacred history embedded in the landscape. The new monument stands as a testament to the compassion of Bytown residents, including the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, who ministered to the dying and buried the dead.

A sincere thank you to the Ottawa 1847 Irish Famine Monument Committee, Global Irish Famine Way Chapter, and all volunteers and supporters who made this historic commemoration possible.