Galway County Council and the Irish Workhouse Centre have announced a comprehensive programme of events in the lead up to the 2026 National Famine Commemoration, taking place at the Irish Workhouse Centre on Sunday, 17 May. The Community Programme is created with support from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
The event at the site of the former Portumna Workhouse will be broadcast live on RTÉ News Channel, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ Player starting at midday. It will include a wreath-laying ceremony, along with musical and cultural performances and a tree-planting ceremony.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will deliver the keynote address. The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, will also speak, along with local representatives.
Opened in 1852 and regarded as one of the most complete surviving complexes of its kind, the Portumna Workhouse has become a hub for lectures, exhibitions and cultural events. This will be the first time the National Famine Commemoration has been held in County Galway since it was established in 2008.
Dr Christy Cunniffe of the Irish Workhouse Centre said it is a significant honour for Portumna to host the programme.
“This is a deeply important site and a powerful place to engage with the legacy of the Great Famine,” he added. “The Board of the Centre is grateful for the partnership with Galway County Council and the support of all involved. Our aim is to ensure this history continues to be explored and shared with future generations.”
The programme begins on Saturday, May 9, with a one-day conference from 9am to 5pm bringing together leading historians and researchers to examine how the Great Famine has been remembered and understood.
Titled ‘Reflecting on the Great Famine: A Commemoration Conference’, the free event runs from 9am to 5pm at the Irish Workhouse Centre.
It will explore themes including public memory, the arts, music, philanthropy and the Poor Law system, along with a panel discussion on the famine’s lasting legacy.
In the days that follow, the focus shifts to community engagement, education and cultural reflection.
Events include the launch of a new exhibition, Our Famine Stories, featuring experiences from across Galway and the diaspora in Minnesota, alongside a publication on famine-era Killimor.
A bilingual workbook, Children in the Workhouse, will also be launched to introduce younger audiences to famine history.
A series of Lunch and Learn lectures will run throughout the week, including contributions from Breandán Mac Suibhne, covering topics from social history to archaeology.
The programme also features guided walks, theatre, music and new creative work. Highlights include a staged reading of ‘Bishop Maginn: The Famine and the Fugitive’, a guided walking trail, an evening of song, a lecture by Kathleen Villiers Tuthill exploring Connemara and the Famine, and a public Lecture and launch of An Gorta Mór i Maigh Cuilinn 1845-1850 (1997).
Two lunchtime lectures will take place at Portumna Courthouse as part of the programme on May 14 – 15.
On Thursday May 14, Galway Community Archaeologist Bernie Doherty will give a public lecture on the archaeology of the famine, examining traces in the landscape such as settlement patterns, relief works and burial sites, and what they reveal about lived experience and legacy.
On Friday May 15, Chief Superintendent Gerard Roche will speak on the life and political career of his great grandfather, John Roche MP, placing his story within the struggle for tenants’ rights in East Galway and the lasting impact of the famine on political life.
Further events will continue after the national commemoration, including theatre, music and exhibitions running into late May and June.
A free bus service will operate from 9th to 15th May, connecting Maigh Cuillin, Galway City, Oranmore, Athenry and Loughrea to Portumna. Further information on the service is available on Eventbrite.
Cllr David Collins, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, said it is a great honour to welcome the programme to Portumna.
“This reflects a shared effort to remember the Great Famine in a thoughtful and inclusive way,” he said.
“I want to thank all partners and local groups, particularly the Irish Workhouse Centre. It’s a source of pride for Galway and an important moment of remembrance for communities at home and across the diaspora.”
