10,000 TEARS; Memorial prayers said at mass grave.

Byline: SARAH STACK

VICTIMS of the Great Famine were remembered yesterday at a moving ceremony to mark the first National Famine Memorial Day.

A dignified and solemn service was held in Skibbereen, Co Cork, where up to 10,000 famine victims are buried in a mass grave.

The day has been earmarked by the Government to commemorate and honour the 1.5million people who either died or emigrated from Ireland between 1845 and 1851.

A poignant ceremony was held in O'Donovan Rossa Park where children from the seven local schools lit candles in memory of the victims of the Famine and planted a Rowan tree.

Skibbereen was one of the worst affected areas in Ireland with 28,000 dead and a 8,000 lost to emigration.

Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon O Cuiv, chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee, walked to nearby Abbeystrewery Cemetery where politicians, ambassadors and diplomats from 20 countries attended a formal wreath-laying ceremony.

Minister O Cuiv, who unveiled a plaque at Grosse Ile near Quebec City in Canada last week to commemorate the 7,000 Irish men, women, and children who are buried there, said the Famine was a transforming event.

Grosse Ile was a quarantine station during the Famine, which became known by locals as L'Ile des Irlandais - the Island of the Irish. Mr O Cuiv added: "We have come such a long way since the Famine, but it is important that we do not forget our past and the experiences that have shaped us as a people.

"Many people in the world still suffer from famine and hunger and we must use our experience and empathy to raise awareness of their plight."

The Bishops of Ireland said blessings and special prayers took place countrywide for victims of famine.

CAPTION(S):

CEREMONY A commemorative plaque to mark National Famine Memorial Day, Cork IN MEMORY Minister O Cuiv plants Rowan tree yesterday