The Irish Famine Pot [which contained the soup] “sometimes referred to as workhouse pots” were made of cast iron. They came in various sizes and most of them were supplied by the Government under the Soup Kitchen Act to alleviate hunger and prevent starvation, by providing free soup to the populace.

How it all began…
During the Great Famine there was a famine pot located on the roadside in the Townland of Cullionboy, in the Parish of Townawilly in County Donegal. The famine pot became the property of local farmer, Patrick Colhoun. In later years the pot was used to heat water by the local farmers when they were dipping sheep.
In July 2011, I went in search of the famine pot only to discover it had been attacked and broken in a number of pieces. A quick check revealed only two small pieces of the pot were missing. One of the pieces was found a few days later in a nearby stream. Thanks to the expertise of Stephen Jarvis, who was given the onerous task of welding the pieces together, the famine pot was restored to its former glory. Read more…

History of the Famine Pot
The Famine Pots serve as a reminder to the present and future generations of that grim period in our history when a million Irish people died of starvation and famine related disease and a million plus were forced to emigrate, many of them to die in the coffin ships bearing them to the land of promise. It has been said that if it had been possible to lay a slab to commemorate every Irish person who died at sea during the famine period, one could walk dry-shod to America. Read more…

Latest News

Minister Heather Humphries used one of our miniature miniature famine pots to scatter Irish soil over a Celtic memorial in New Orleans and then afterwards presented the honorary consul, judge Jim McKay with the pot. Read more…