"Flynn, MWRD join commemoration," The Beverly Review
The Beverly Review: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Vice President Theresa Flynn recently joined Irish Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Chicago Gaelic Park President Bill O’Sullivan for the 2025 International Famine Commemoration at Chicago Gaelic Park.
The annual commemoration honors the millions who suffered, died or emigrated during An Gorta Mor—“The Great Hunger”—which devastated Ireland between 1845 and 1852. The ceremony featured music, speeches, a wreath-laying and a moment of silence at the Gaelic Park Famine Memorial, a bronze monument sculpted by the Rev. Anthony Brankin in 1999.
In her remarks, Flynn reflected on the resilience of Irish immigrants who fled famine and found new beginnings in Chicago. She drew a direct connection between the Irish laborers who helped build the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal more than a century ago and the ongoing mission of the MWRD to safeguard public health and protect the region’s water environment.
O’Donovan delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the famine’s enduring place in Irish memory and the importance of confronting historical injustice.
Brankin said Mass in the Emerald Room after the ceremony, followed by breakfast and refreshments.
Held annually since 2008 in cities around the world—including New York, Sydney, Liverpool, and Toronto—the International Famine Commemoration recognizes the shared history of the Irish diaspora and their descendants. This year’s event at Gaelic Park highlighted Chicago’s enduring role as a home for generations of Irish emigrants and its proud place in Irish-American history.