Museum An Ghorta Mor

   I hope everyone has heard about the new museum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden CT.   In case you haven’t let me be the first to bring it to your attention.    Located at 3011 Whitney Ave., Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, (Museum An Ghorta Mor), will open Thursday the 11^th of October.  Boasting the largest known collection of famine related art, papers and artifacts it promises to be a moving experience.

     The museum documents the most harrowing chapter of Irish history, and was made possible in large part by  Murray Lender.  While not Irish himself, Mr. Lender was deeply  moved upon hearing the story of the famine.  According to John Lahey, President of Quinnipiac, Mr. Lender told him, ‘John, I’ll give you a gift for the library, but I really want to have it go to educating people about the Great Hunger. I grew up in New Haven, I have a lot of Irish friends, and I knew nothing about the Great Hunger.’

     The museum plans to take the collection on the road at some point, but not for at least a year according to its director Grace Brady, so it sounds like I may have to take a road trip soon.  Sadly Mr. Lender is no longer with us, but a big thank you to him for wanting this story told!