National Famine Way Roadshow in Mullingar next week
The National Famine Way Roadshow goes on tour during March 2026, and Mullingar on the 10th of the month is among the seven locations along the route where it stops.
Each roadshow consists of informative talks and presentations by leading local and international famine historians, led by Caroilín Callery, founder of the National Famine Way.
The Westmeath Roadshow event is on Tuesday March 10 at 2.30pm in Mullingar Library and everyone is welcome to attend. There is no admission charge, but it is essential to register in advance by emailing nationalfamineway@gmail.com.
Speakers include Caroilín Callery and Dr Jason King, academic coordinator of the National Famine Museum, Strokestown Park, and Ruth Illingworth, president, Westmeath Historical and Archaeological Society.
Caroilín Calleary said: “I am so pleased to be involved in this, the second roadshow. It’s a great opportunity to visit each of the communities along the route again making the history of the Irish famine more visible.
“We hope to deepen the connections in each while honouring the memory of Strokestown’s missing 1490 and those of each of the communities we pass through many of whom walked the same trail.”
The free events bring a poignant yet fascinating part of our history to life. The national walking route is centred on the forced march of 1,490 emigrants from Strokestown, County Roscommon, where the first Roadshow takes place.
The National Famine Way Roadshow is presented by the Irish Heritage Trust in collaboration with the seven local authorities along the trail (Roscommon County Council, Longford County Council, Westmeath County Council, Meath County Council, Kildare County Council, Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council).
Each event will include different speakers as well as local expert historians who can explain the famine emigrant story with county specific knowledge.
It is an opportunity to ask questions of the experts and to examine the local connections.
Updates on speakers at each local event will at www.nationalfamineway.ie.
National Famine Way
The National Famine Way is a 165km way marked walking and cycling trail commemorating a heartbreaking walk of forced emigration which took place in 1847 at the height of the Irish Famine. It begins at the memorial glass wall at The National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park in Roscommon and continues through six counties to EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum in the Dublin Docklands.
The route is marked by more than 30 pairs of bronze children’s shoes and the route and associated stories can be followed through a free app.
Walkers can also purchase an official passport to get stamped along the route.
A nine-day Remembrance Walk along the full route takes place on May 16-24.
National Famine Way Roadshow Dates
Monday 9 March, 3pm, Strokestown Park House, County Roscommon
Tuesday 10 March, 10.30am, Ballymahon Library, County Longford
Tuesday 10 March, 2.30pm, Mullingar Library, County Westmeath
Wednesday 11 March, 10.30am, Leixlip Library, County Kildare,
Wednesday March, 2.30pm, Trim Library, County Meath
Thursday 19th March, 10.30am, Charleville Mall Library, Dublin 1
Thursday 19 March, 2pm, Blanchardstown Library, Fingal, Dublin 15