National Famine Museum, Strokestown, Roscommon.
The National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park in Co. Roscommon is set to host the 2025 Famine Summer School from May 29 to June 1, 2025.
This annual international conference brings together scholars, artists, and humanitarian leaders to explore the enduring legacy of the Great Irish Famine.
The theme of the 2025 Summer School is "Humanitarianism and Hunger," which focuses on international aid responses to the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s.
The programme will investigate how global communities—including those in North America, India, the Ottoman Empire, and beyond—reacted to the catastrophe in Ireland, often in contrast to the more limited or delayed actions of official authorities. The conference will also draw parallels with modern-day challenges in humanitarian assistance, food insecurity, and climate-related displacement.
Keynote speakers at the Summer School include Jean-Martin Bauer, with over two decades of experience in humanitarian food aid; Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac University; Professor Mark G. McGowan, a leading scholar on Irish migration to Canada; and Professor LeAnne Howe of the Choctaw Nation, reflecting on the enduring ties between the Choctaw people and the Irish famine legacy.
Michael Kennedy.
One of the featured contributors to this year’s program is historian Dr. Gillian O'Brien, a leading voice in Irish public history and a professor at Liverpool John Moores University. Dr. O'Brien is widely known for her work on the history of crime, punishment, and popular culture in nineteenth-century Ireland, and her recent focus on the role of museums and heritage sites in shaping public memory. At the Famine Summer School, she will speak on the memory of the Choctaw gift and interpretation of famine history in the public sphere, using her extensive research and consulting work with Irish museums and cultural institutions to explore how memory and narrative can inform contemporary understandings of humanitarian crisis.
One of the most anticipated speakers at this year’s Famine Summer School is Michael Kennedy, whose powerful act of sportsmanship on the global stage has captured hearts around the world. Kennedy, representing Ireland Lacrosse, made headlines when the team voluntarily gave up their place in the 2022 World Games so that the Iroquois Nationals, who were originally excluded despite their ranking, could participate. This remarkable gesture, rooted in fairness and recognition of indigenous sovereignty, earned Kennedy and Ireland Lacrosse a prestigious Musial Award for international sportsmanship.
At the Famine Summer School, Kennedy will share this moving story of solidarity, humility, and justice. His presentation will be accompanied by a compelling three-minute video that encapsulates the spirit of the decision and the broader message it sends about equality in sport and beyond.
Strokestown Park House.
In addition to academic discussions, the Summer School will feature live performances, exhibitions, and creative presentations that reflect on the cultural legacy of famine and humanitarian solidarity.
The National Famine Museum, located at Strokestown Park, offers a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with Ireland’s past through interactive exhibits, rare archival materials, and immersive storytelling. The museum tells the story of the Great Irish Famine through the lens of the Pakenham-Mahon estate, allowing visitors to see both landlord and tenant perspectives and gain a fuller understanding of the causes and consequences of the tragedy.
Through interactive exhibits, original documents, and personal stories, the museum sheds light on the social, economic, and environmental factors that contributed to the Great Irish Famine. Visitors can explore the contrasting lives of landlords and tenants during this period, gaining insights into a disaster that reshaped Ireland and led to a significant diaspora.
More information on the 2025 Famine Summer School, including registration details and the full program, is available on the official website: https://strokestownpark.ie/famine-summer-school/