New Strokestown sculpture honours aid sent to Ireland during Famine
Sculptor Brendan O'Reilly and John O’Driscoll, Irish Heritage Trust General Manager at Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum, unveiling the piece of sculpture. Pic. Brian Farrell
A life-size bronze sculpture titled 'The Gift', which commemorates the generous aid provided by the Choctaw Nation to Ireland during the Famine has been unveiled outside the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park.
American sculptor Brendan O’Neill, based in Maryland, USA, sculpted 'The Gift', which is a replica of his original piece displayed at the Choctaw Cultural Centre in Oklahoma.
Mr O’Neill’s great grandfather Richard Bernard O’Neill emigrated from Carlow in 1850.
He was in Strokestown last week with 20 members of his family, including his wife Susan, their four children and 10 grandchildren, for the unveiling of his life-size bronze sculpture.
The artist said he was stunned when he heard just three years ago that the Choctaw community of Oklahoma had, in March 1847, collected some $170, “equivalent to several thousands of dollars today”, and sent it to famine-ravaged Ireland.
The sculpture unveiled at Strokestown Park, an estate which lost 1,490 tenants to the “coffin ships” bound for north America in 1847, is a replica of one presented to the Choctaw Cultural Centre in Oklahoma last September.
The artwork depicts a Choctaw woman extending an ampo (eating bowl) while a younger Choctaw man reaches out in a gesture of friendship.
Mr O’Neill (82) said he believed it was important at every opportunity to make people aware of this story. “It is an example for all nations especially today when we are such a fractured global community,” he said.
The sculptor, whose work was already inspired by his interest and admiration for Native American history and culture, said he was amazed when he heard of the bond between the Choctaw and Irish nations despite being “4,000 miles from each other across ocean”.
The sculpture, generously donated by the O’Neill Family, is now permanently installed in the courtyard adjacent to Ireland’s National Famine Museum, which offers insights into one of the most significant periods in Irish history.
Mr O’Neill has created numerous bronze sculptures for various institutions, including the State of Maryland, Indiana University, schools, Native American reservations, and cultural centres. His work is characterised by its profound storytelling and historical significance, capturing the essence of the human spirit and heritage. The Roscommon sculpture's period clothing, hairstyle, facial features, and native symbols were meticulously crafted with guidance from the Choctaw Cultural Centre’s Curator, Claire Young.
Speaking in Strokestown Mr O’Neill said: “Given my ancestral ‘O’Neill’ Irish roots and my interest in Native American history and culture, I was naturally struck by the significance of the Choctaw Nation's gift to the Irish during ‘An Gorta Mór’ in 1847.
"I reached out to the Choctaw Elders and offered to commemorate that gift with a bronze sculpture, which I sculpted over a two-year period and delivered to the Choctaw Cultural Centre, in September 2023.
"The O’Neill Family is delighted to donate a copy of this sculpture to The Irish Heritage Trust for permanent display at the National Famine Museum in Ireland,” said Mr O’Neill.
John O’Driscoll, Irish Heritage Trust General Manager at Strokestown Park & the National Famine Museum said it was an honour to receive the historically significant sculpture.
“This is a fitting location for this meaningful artwork, offering visitors a space for, and appreciation of the historical bond between the Choctaw Nation and the Irish people before entering the Museum, which offers a deeply moving account of the Great Irish Famine,” he said.
Ger Aherne, Chairman of the Irish Heritage Trust which cares for and manages the National Famine Museum | Strokestown Park said the sculpture was a profoundly moving reflection on the Choctaw Nation's gift to Ireland during the Great Hunger.
"Preserving our history and sharing it with as many people as possible is a core mission of the Irish Heritage Trust.
"It is a privilege to welcome ‘The Gift’ for permanent display, and to provide a meaningful context for our visitors to the National Famine Museum,” said Mr Aherne.
