Irish Hunger Memorial — Attraction in New York

The most moving, inspired, soothing., and beautiful piece of public art I have ever experienced, without question. And it truly is an experience; you are drawn into the memorial after reading the first person accounts of the famine that are carved into the outer wall of the structure, setting the scene and providing basic information about this tragedy for the uninitiated. As you pass through the door and onto the path, you're lead to an evocation of a typical Irish stone cottage using materials that would have been in use at that time. The cottage is set up in a simple, bare environment, which cleanses your senses and allows you to leave the world behind (no small feat., given that this monument exists in a particularly beautiful spot by the water in lower Manhattan where the Statue of Liberty is visible in the distance). You follow the path and reach a spot where you have to turn but are unable to see what folliws, and when you make the turn.....you are immediately transported into the middke of an Irish meadow, with the indigenous long grasses and wildflowers and stones of Ireland and the reveal is so breathtaking, it moved me to tears. It was so overwhelming that at first I didn't notice I was back in the open air and New York had returned to the experience, but looking up at the magnificent skyscrapers from this peaceful, graceful meadow somehow transformed them into part of the natural environment and made them less oppressive. Seeing the water from inside the meadow helped with the illusion, as did the design of the public park area in which the memorial resides. Another outstanding and unexpected aspect to this wonderful Memorial is that as you make your way through the meadow you realize you will have an outstanding view of the Freedom Tower which is a few blocks away. The stones you see along the pathway are are inscribed with the names of the various counties in Ireland, and each of the stones came from the county that bears its name. When you reach the top of the meadow and turn around and look down at the whole expanse of the monument below you it's hard not to feel that your journey has affected you very deeply; this must be what is meant when they say there is a balm in Gilead. This quickly has become my favorite spot in all...

I have lived in this area since 2015, but only discovered this memorial accidentally on a recent visit for a show at Tribeca Performing Arts Center. My husband and I had arrived to the area early, so we decided to just walk around and explore. Both of us being of some Irish descent, we were very interested in taking this in! I actually think I would like to return and spend more time reading all there is to read on the walls! When we were there, it was the end of March. It was hard to tell if the vegetation on the hill leading to the top of the memorial was meant to look sort of poorly managed or if it was a transitional time of the year. I would be interested to go back when things are in full bloom and see if there has been any change there. It looked like a good space to have a lovely garden, but that was not the case at the time. Being that it is an Irish hunger memorial, I thought there was a possibility that appearance was...

What a nice memorial and great job of design and engineering. Very touching tribute. It's as though they ripped a half acre right out of the peaceful Irish countryside and plunked it right down in the hustle bustle of Manhattan just two blocks from the One World Trade Center. If you can ignore the adjacent skyscrapers you can imagine being on a hillside in Ireland with the grass and wildflowers. It's landscaped with stones, dirt and vegetation brought from Ireland. Contains stones from every county in Ireland. It also has a authentic reconstructed stone cottage. Great views of NJ to the West and the World Trade buildings to the east. Just one block from the ferry station to Liberty State Park in NJ. Best to visit in nice weather. No admission. You can spend 10 minutes or til it closes at 9pm. Hours...