The 2026 National Famine Commemoration will take place in Portumna next May.
Portumna's Irish Workhouse Centre will be the venue for the next annual commemoration, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan announced today.
The centre, located within the historic Portumna Workhouse complex, is one of the most complete workhouse sites still in existence in Ireland.
This is the first time the State commemoration has taken place in County Galway. As in previous years, the programme will include military honours, culminating in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of all those who suffered or perished during the Great Famine.
"The Irish Workhouse Centre in Portumna stands on a site of immense historical significance, a place that bears direct witness to the hardship, loss, and upheaval experienced arising from An Gorta Mór," said Minister O'Donovan, who also chairs the National Famine Commemoration Committee.
"As one of the best-preserved workhouse complexes in the country, it offers a uniquely fitting setting for reflection on one of the most defining and tragic periods in our nation’s history.
"Having hosted both the national and international Famine commemorations earlier this year, I have been deeply moved by the impact of this solemn event on local communities, and we look forward to working closely with Galway County Council, the Irish Workhouse Centre and the people of Portumna and east Galway in the lead-in to next year’s event.”
The National Famine Commemoration was established in 2008 and rotates by province annually. Portumna was selected by the National Famine Commemoration Committee, following a call to the local authorities in Connacht in September.
Minister O’Donovan also acknowledged and thanked the National Famine Commemoration Committee for their continued work in ensuring that the tragic events of the Famine are remembered with dignity and respect.
He also noted the importance of creating opportunities to highlight Ireland’s enduring connections with the global Diaspora, and to celebrate the contributions of those who emigrated and their descendants around the world.
Minister Seán Canney has welcomed the announcement. "This is a solemn national event, and Portumna is an historically significant location with deep links to the story of An Gorta Mór," he said.
