The San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial Project was born from a conviction that the story of An Gorta Mór—the Great Hunger—must have a permanent, visible place of gathering and commemoration in San Francisco and the American West.

That conviction took concrete form in 2014 when local activists George Trainor and Kenny Stock approached then-Consul General of Ireland, Gerry Staunton, with the idea of building a permanent memorial.  In response, Consul Staunton called a meeting of Irish American community leaders to formally put forward the idea of creating a memorial with community funds and direction.  There was a recognition among both the Irish-born and Irish Americans in San Francisco that the devastation of the Great Hunger had affected the community in deep and profound ways, and that the record of the terrible struggles and loss of those dark years stand in stark contrast to the great bounty of our lives today. 

This call to action turned these sentiments into a clear mission: create a lasting memorial that honors the victims and survivors of the Famine and expresses gratitude to San Francisco, California, and the American West for the welcome they offered.

From this first gathering, a core group of community leaders, donors, and volunteers stepped forward including Margaret McPeake, Áine Brolly, Hillary Flynn, Diarmuid Philpott, and County Galway emigrant and San Francisco building contractor Pat Uniacke, who now serves as chair of the San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial Committee.

Finding the right site was the first major hurdle. Working closely with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and other city agencies, the committee evaluated possible locations and ultimately focused on an overlook along El Camino Del Mar in Lincoln Park, near the Legion of Honor Museum. The views there of the blue Pacific waters set against the Marin Headlands with the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, offer a peaceful, contemplative setting. The site is also adjacent to existing memorials honoring the Holocaust and the Chinese and Japanese experiences in San Francisco, situating the Irish story within a broader civic landscape of remembrance. 

Over more than a decade, the project moved through conceptual design, community discussions, and formal approvals. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting the memorial and designating the site. The Recreation and Park Commission approved the concept. Throughout this period, the committee and its allies, with the steady support of the Irish Consulate, have invested countless volunteer hours to bring the project to life.

The hard work of site selection, design, and approvals has been done. What is needed now is the philanthropic partnership that will turn this vision into a built reality and, in doing so, create a lasting legacy for the Irish American community in the San Francisco Bay Area and the greater American West.