Taoiseach to officiate National Famine Commemoration in Ballingarry

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will officiate at the National Famine Commemoration in Ballingarry this afternoon.

Also there will be Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys and American Chargé d’Affaires Reece Smyth.

The ceremony will be centred on the Famine Warhouse 1848 in the south Tipp village.

Among those performing will be Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, the Cecilian Choir of the Ursuline School, Thurles and Banna Cluain Meala as well as readings by poet Michael Coady, Carmel O’Brien and pupils from the Presentation Secondary School Ballingarry.

Speaking to Tipp FM Reece Smyth said he was honoured to be in Tipperary for the occasion to mark the famine which saw around a million Irish emigrate to the United States.