Ireland's Great Hunger Bord fights for Quinnipiac collection

New non-profit dedicates itself to memorializing Ireland's Great Hunger

Ireland's Great Hunger Bord says it takes a special interest in the collection of art and artifacts that once operated as Ireland's Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

Irish Voice Reporters

Aug 18, 2022

Ireland's Great Hunger Bord, an outgrowth of the Save Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum group which is dedicated to preserving the content of Quinnipiac University’s Ireland's Great Hunger Museum, has announced its formation as an official nonprofit corporation holding 501(c)3 status.

According to a press release, “The newly formed organization is a global network of people committed to remembering and memorializing the worst catastrophe of 19th century Europe.

“The Bord’s vision is to use the Irish experience of the mid to late 19th century as an historical example to expose the ever-present dynamics of political or economic domination of one people over another.

“Ireland’s Great Hunger Bord intends to advance the study, collection, preservation and exhibition of art, material culture and primary source materials related to Ireland’s Great Hunger (1845-1852), which reduced the island’s population by 25 percent owing to starvation, disease and emigration.

“The Bord gathers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that created the Irish diaspora worldwide.

“Through the Bord’s affiliated network, supporters may gain a deeper appreciation of how the Irish shaped communities and the larger, universal role of refugees in ensuring global freedom.

“The Bord supports fully accredited museums, libraries and academic institutions around the world in disseminating the lessons and legacy of the Irish experience.

“The Bord takes a special interest in the collection currently under scrutiny by Connecticut’s attorney general – a collection of art and artifacts that once operated as a museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. The Bord is committed to ensuring the best legal transfer of the collection that respects the wishes of the original donors.”