National Famine Memorial, County Mayo

The piece of art by John Behan is called "Coffin Ship". It is an impressive monument showing a ship full of skeletons - a symbol to remember all the people who died on the ships to America when they wanted to escape Ireland's potato famine in the 19th century. The monument was unveiled in 1997to mark the 150th anniversary of the famine.

We found this little Famine memorial next to the road on the way to Louisburgh. Actually we only found it because there was a little chapter about it in our favourite travel book "Mc Carthy's Bar"! See my Killary Harbour travelogue for what was written in the book.