Callerys to be honoured for their 'outstanding' work to preserve Famine history
Caroilin and Jim Callery
A Roscommon father and daughter are to be honoured for their outstanding dedication to preserving the legacy of the Irish Famine.
Jim and Caroilin Callery will receive the Éire Society of Boston’s 2026 Gold Medal later this month in the US city.
The award is honoring Mr Callery for his creative leadership and generosity in preserving the lessons and legacy of Ireland's Great Hunger by founding Ireland's National Famine Museum and Archive in 1994 at Strokestown. It is also honouring Ms Callery's work in organising a homecoming for the Canadian descendants of the 1,490 Strokestown tenants who were sent into exile in 1847, launching the biannual Irish Famine Summer Schools, and developing Ireland's National Famine Way in 2019 and the Global Irish Famine Way in 2022.
Strokestown Park hailed the Callerys' achievement, saying the award was acknowledging their “outstanding dedication to preserving the legacy of the Irish Famine”.
“Today, Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum, now in the care of the Irish Heritage Trust, stands as a leading visitor destination, welcoming people from around the world to explore this defining chapter in Ireland’s history,” it said on social media.
