By Una Sinnott
Strokestown in Co Roscommon is far from a typical rural Irish town. At the end of the broad main street - the second widest in the country - grand arched gates mark the entry to a wonderful time capsule - Ireland’s National Famine Museum, which has reopened following a €5 million redevelopment.
The museum is housed in Strokestown Park, home to the Mahon family for some 300 years. When local businessman Jim Callery bought the estate in 1979 he discovered that the family home, Strokestown house, contained art, furnishings, and other possessions going back generations, along with a vast archive of 300 years of estate records.
This archive represents the single largest collection of records from the Famine, and much of the material from the mid-19th century have gone into creating the National Famine Museum, outlining the lives of all those who lived in Strokestown - the Mahon family, the tenant farmers, and the nearly 1,500 starving residents who left the estate in an emigration scheme which saw them walk 165km to Dublin before being shipped to Liverpool and on to Quebec in Canada. Hundreds died en route and their arduous journey is now commemorated in the National Famine Way, a walking and cycling route from Strokestown to Custom House Quay in Dublin.
The museum depicts the awful conditions endured by the emigrants, from the walk itself to the cramped conditions on board ship, housed in tiny berths - just six square feet - designed to be shared by four or more people.
The emigration scheme was organised by Major Denis Mahon, then owner of Strokestown, in 1847 for a one-off fee of £5,860, far less than the £11,000 a year he would have owed had the tenants been sent to the local workhouse. Shortly after the exodus McMahon was shot dead, and the gun allegedly used to kill him is now housed in the museum, along with documents relating to the murder investigation and the fate of those implicated in the act.
The museum offers an immersive experience, using original documents and artefacts along with multimedia and other displays to provide insight into the lives of Strokestown’s Famine residents.
The Clonahee petition, signed by residents of the townland, presents in stark terms the desperation of the people as they faced starvation in 1846: “Our families are really and truly suffering in our presence and we cannot much longer withstand their cries for food. We have no food for them, our potatoes are rotten and we have no grain,” they warn in the letter. “We are not for joining in anything illegal or contrary to the laws of God or the land unless pressed to by HUNGER.” By contrast, documents relating to the Mahon family include a recipe for lobster soup, dated Christmas 1843.
The National Famine Museum is well worth a visit for anyone interested in this pivotal period in our history. Its detailed account of the unfolding disaster at Strokestown also reflects what was happening in estates throughout the country.
Strokestown Park also features Strokestown House, the Palladian mansion which was the Mahon family home from the 18th century onwards and is itself a museum filled with the original furniture and personal effects of the generations of the family. There are six acres of walled gardens, a cafe, and a family friendly woodland trail where you can relax and enjoy some forest bathing. The museum and grounds are suitable for all ages, and children can enjoy outdoor play and learn about the lives of the children who grew up in Strokestown in centuries past.
The National Famine Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm during the summer months. For bookings and more information visit strokestownpark.ie
