That We May Never Forget

At the beginning of November, Kanturk Tidy Towns Community unveiled a Famine Pot in memory of those who died during the Great Famine (1845-1850). This historic artifact was unearthed by a local farmer when working on his farm, and he kindly donated it to KTT.

It’s new home is at the entrance to St. Patrick’s Place, chosen as it was here that the gates to Kanturk Union Workouse were positioned. This six acre compound was on land given by the Earl of Egmont, and today includes the office of South Doc, Kanturk Community hospital, and St. Patrick’s Place. The workhouse was built to accommodate 800 people, but during the tragic period of the famine, almost 1800 poor people were crowded into this area.

North Cork was thought to have suffered some of the worst effects of famine during this catastrophic period of history. Many of these large cauldrons were donated to the Irish people by the Quaker community during the height of the famine in 1846. They were made of cast iron and were used to provide soup to the starving people in soup kitchens and workhouses all around the country.

Local residents and Tidy Towns Volunteers together at the site; Peggy and Dónal Mannix, Barbara Beaton, Martin O’Neill, Eddie Walsh, John O’Neill, Mary McAuliffe, Anne Goggin, Mary Corbett, Margaret Cotter.