The Project | Contribute to the Memorial Today — San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial

THE MEMORIAL

The San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial will be created in two phases at Lincoln Park along El Camino Del Mar, overlooking the Golden Gate and Pacific.

PHASE 1: THE MEMORIAL PLAZA

Phase 1 will create the physical setting for the memorial. The design includes a concrete platform extending approximately 16 feet into the golf course buffer zone and spanning about 20 feet along the roadway.

The plaza will include interpretive tablets describing An Gorta Mór and the legacy of those who survived and emigrated. Lighting, landscaping, safety railings, and other site improvements will create a place that is welcoming, reflective, and accessible.

This phase establishes the foundation for the memorial and prepares the site for the artistic elements that will follow.

Phase 1 view of the planned SF Irish Famine Memorial platform at Lincoln Park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

PHASE 2: ARTWORK AND STORYTELLING

Phase 2 will add the commissioned public artwork and expanded historical interpretation.

Working in coordination with the San Francisco Arts Commission, the project will incorporate sculpture or other public art that speaks to the themes at the heart of the Famine story: loss, survival, emigration, resilience, and gratitude.

A separate fundraising effort will support these artistic and interpretive elements.

A CITY-SUPPORTED PROJECT

The memorial has already passed several important civic milestones.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors formally supported the creation of a permanent Irish Famine memorial. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department has worked with the Memorial Committee on the Lincoln Park site, design, engineering, community review, and project planning.

The Recreation and Park Commission has approved the conceptual design and the official name, San Francisco Irish Famine Memorial.

Learn more about the project on the official San Francisco Recreation and Park Department website.

FROM PLANNING TO CONSTRUCTION

More than a decade of work has brought the memorial from an idea to an approved project with a defined site and design.

Once funding is secured and construction begins, the plaza is expected to be completed within approximately six months to one year, depending on construction conditions and project logistics.

HELP BUILD THE MEMORIAL

The groundwork has been done. The site has been selected. The design has advanced through the City process.

Now the next step is to build it.

Your support will help create a permanent place where future generations can remember the victims of An Gorta Mór, honor those who survived, and understand the lasting connection between Ireland and San Francisco.