Johnny Mee, Mayor of Castlebar, Professor Christine Kinealy , Ivor Hamrock Author and Austin Vaughan, Mayo County Librarian, At the launch of a new book from Mayo County Library: The Famine in Mayo: A Portrait From Contemporary Sources by Ivor Hamrock.

A beautiful new edition of The Famine in Mayo: A Portrait From Contemporary Sources has just been published by Mayo County Library. The book, by Ivor Hamrock, tells the tragic story of the great famine from contemporary sources - eyewitness accounts, official records and reports in local newspapers of the period and is illustrated with prints, photographs and maps. This book is the definitive account of the Famine in the county. It provides a comprehensive picture of life in famine times covering topics such as diet, evictions, emigration, workhouses and relief measures.

Author Ivor Hamrock, speaking at the launch said "Mayo was one of the counties that suffered most, losing one third of its population through death and emigration. This book is for the memory of the countless people who must never be forgotten"

The book was launched by Professor Christine Kinealy who praised the book for its use of original sources and stated that it was one of the best local histories of the famine she had seen.

In the introduction to the book, county librarian Austin Vaughan states: "The Great Famine was one of the defining moments of Irish history. It marked a watershed in the history of the country causing a change so complete in the Irish social and political circumstances, that the fabric of the people's sensibilities would never be the same again. No longer could the Irish people trust to the land to provide constant sustenance. No longer could they rely on what security of tenure that the landlords allowed them, and most importantly they learned that their English political masters cared little for their plight.

The author of The Famine in Mayo, Ivor Hamrock

Yet for many years the Famine was ignored in academic circles. With the notable exception of The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith in 1962, the "great calamity" was almost completely neglected by Irish historians. It was as if, when confronted by the catastrophic nature of the event, they were traumatised and could not ask the great questions which were crying out to be asked: What caused the Famine? How could it have been prevented? How many died? It was only as the 150th anniversary of this tragic event was being commemorated that the huge effect that the Famine had on Irish social and cultural history began to be acknowledged. A large quantity of books on the subject began to appear and at last the great "communal forgetting" seemed to be coming to an end.

During her presidency, Mary Robinson spoke regularly about the Famine and our need to come to terms with it. She regarded the legacy of the Famine and in particular the resultant Irish diaspora as central to the Irish experience. In the United States, the Governor of New York, George Pataki, signed a Bill which would legally require high school students to study the Great Famine. On May 31st 1997, British Prime minister, Tony Blair, apologised for the Famine and spoke of the failure of a government which "stood by while a crop failure turned into a massive human tragedy".

Mr Vaughan praised Ivor Hamrock for his quiet scholarship and his diligent research and said the book was the result of many years learning in his job in Castlebar library where he has become the leading expert on historical sources for the county.

THE FAMINE IN MAYO: A PORTRAIT FROM CONTEMPORARY SOURCES is now on sale at all local bookshops, price €12.