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Bronze Shoes white illustration slower. over 30 pairs of Bronze Shoes along the National Famine Way

Our Bronze Shoes

The National Famine Way is a way-marked trail with soul. It intertwines history through the arts: not only in sculpture but also in literature and music through the Shoe Stories which can be read online in this section County by County or can be listened to as you walk / cycle the National Famine Way on our free App, as they are geolocated to each pair of Bronze Shoes.

A small pair of children’s Bronze Shoes is the powerful symbol of the National and Global Irish Famine Way™. The entire trail is waymarked by replica shoes cast in bronze as a poignant reminder of the journey the 1,490 emigrants made. Two thirds of our Missing 1,490 were women and children, including a 12 year-old boy named Daniel Tighe who is central to the trail.

The Bronze Shoe Stories are rich content and a perfect companion along Ireland’s most poignant historical trail.  They bring the trail to life with stories, history, and immersive content on audio and video at every Bronze Shoes way marker. It also features little Daniel Tighe’s journey reimagining what he saw and felt as he passed this exact way in 1847, in the form of a digital storybook written by renowned and beloved Irish author Marita Conlon-McKenna.

Bóthans/mud houses black illustration. 4 th Class 1 roomed Bóthans – 43 % 1841

Why these children’s shoes?

Some years ago a little pair of children’s shoes bound with a long strip of linen cloth were discovered by a farmer in the roof of a ruined nineteenth-century cottage near Strokestown. He donated them to the National Famine Museum. We know nothing of the child they belonged to, but the tradition of concealing shoes in houses is thought to have invoked good luck.

The shoes seemed a fitting symbol for the National Famine Way symbolising the long journey the emigrants undertook, beginning on foot. The binding evokes both the difficulties they encountered and the eternal bind to the place they were leaving.

These evocative sculptures remain silent but still their message endures. They speak without words, reminding each walker of the strength and sorrow carried across generations.

Bronze Shoe Stories

Strokestown Park Glass Wall Memorial 2.
Roscommon 1
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National Famine Museum, Strokestown

In 2014, a glass wall memorial was unveiled to commemorate the 1,490 emigrants…

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Strokestown Church, National Famine Way 3.
Roscommon 2
0.50km to

Strokestown Church / Fever Hospital

The Church of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1860 on the site of an…

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Scramogue Church / Ballykilcline, National Famine Way.
Roscommon 3
8.30km to

Scramogue Church / Ballykilcline

St. Anne’s Church, where the Shoes are located, was built in 1839. Five…

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Bog Side, National Famine Way.
Roscommon 4
1km to

Bog Side

As the population of Ireland exploded, in the first part of the nineteenth…

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The original shoes, National Famine Way.
Roscommon 5
8.8km to

Tarmonbarry

Part of the Mahon estate during the Famine years, this beautiful Shannonside…

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Clondra Shoes, National Famine Way.
Longford 1
1.8km to

Clondra

A small village situated where the Royal Canal terminates at the River Shannon….

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Day 2 Clondra – Abbeyshrule, c. 32km. Brian Hand on Famine Art at Last View of Sliabh Bawn.
Longford 2
5.70km to

Killashee

The Bronze Shoes are located here at one of the last vistas home across the…

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St Mel's Cathedral, Longford.
Longford 3
1.3km to

Longford Branch Junction

An 8.5 km branch of the Canal ran from here to Longford Harbour, the scene of a…

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NFW Clondra to Abbeyshrule.
Longford 4
6.4km to

Mosstown Harbour, Keenagh

900m to Keenagh Village. A single winding street lined by buildings of varying…

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Corlea Track Junction, Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre.
Suggested Detour
1.2km to

Corlea Track Junction

A 750m bog track leads to the fascinating Iron Age Corlea Trackway Visitor…

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Ballybrannigan restored ticket office.
Longford 5
8.25km to

Ballybrannigan Harbour, Ballymahon

A bustling location in Famine times, see ruins from 19th century commercial…

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Abbeyshrule, County Longford.
Longford 6
9.05km to

Abbeyshrule

A beautiful scenic award winning village with a Famine Pot feature in the…

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Ballynacargy Harbour and Bridge, National Famine Way.
Westmeath 1
8.65km to

Ballynacarrigy Harbour

Largely established in the mid-18th century by the Malone family of Baronstown,…

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Coolnahay Harbour and the 26th Lock, County Westmeath.
Westmeath 2
8.15km to

Coolnahay Harbour

Canal harbour and 26th Lock, built c. 1809. A renowned beautiful picnic spot….

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Mullingar Harbour on the National Famine Way.
Westmeath 3
10.55km to

Mullingar Harbour

At our half way mark, Mullingar is a large and vibrant Midlands town with lots…

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Mullingar Workhouse & Famine Graveyard Loop.
Westmeath 4
Suggested Detour 3km to

Mullingar Workhouse & Famine Graveyard

A well worthwhile 3km detour which takes you by the remains of a large scale…

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Piper's Boreen, National Famine Way.
Westmeath 5
1km to

Piper’s Boreen

In 1806, the first canal boat reached the harbour at Piper’s Boreen on the…

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Mc Nead's Bridge, Riverstown, Co Westmeath.
Westmeath 6
15.1km to

Mc Nead’s Bridge, Riverstown

A tiny “Village” comprising a shop, pub and rustic remains of a railway…

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Henry Ferris' grave, Killucan, Co Westmeath.
Westmeath 7
1km to

Thomastown Harbour

Thomastown Harbour is home to the main Waterways Ireland Western Depot on the…

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Hill of the Downs, County Meath.
Meath 1
10.3km to

Hill of Down

The Midland Great Western Railway reached the area at the end of 1847. Now a…

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Ribbontail bridge, Longwood Harbour.
Meath 2
6.7km to

Longwood Harbour

1.5 km to Longwood Village Green. Ribbontail Footbridge and country lane were…

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Moyvalley Bronze Shoes, County Kildare.
Kildare 1
3km to

Moyvalley Bridge

Alongside the Canal at Moyvalley is Furey’s traditional Pub and Restaurant. A…

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Day 5 Longwood-Maynooth c.27km. Cathal Póirtéir speaking in Gaelic on Irish Famine Pot in Enfield, County Meath.
Meath 3
8.1km to

Enfield Famine Pot

An 1800s Bianconi’s horse-drawn carriage network hub, named for the Royal Oak…

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Kilcock Bronze Shoes, County Kildare.
Kildare 2
12.9km to

Kilcock Harbour

A beautiful canal-side town famous for nationalist Poet Teresa Brayton’s song…

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Maynooth Harbour, County Kildare 2a.
Kildare 3
5.97km to

Maynooth Harbour

A historic town and home to Ireland’s first Seminary in 1795 and extended to a…

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Carton House Harbour, County Kildare.
Kildare 4
0.5km to

Pike Bridge, Carton Harbour

When the Canal was first proposed in 1789, it was never intended that it would…

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Leixlip Harbour Spa Bronze Shoes 1.
Kildare 5
8.48km to

Leixlip – Confey

300m to Confey shops, 1.1km to village. A lovely town on the River Liffey, home…

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Clonsilla tragedy plaque, National Famine Way.
DUBLIN FINGAL 1
5km to

Clonsilla

St Mary’s Church of Ireland church is visible from the canal. It was built in…

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Castleknock - Blanchardstown 12th lock bronze shoes 2.
DUBLIN FINGAL 2
3km to

Castleknock – Blanchardstown

The 12th Lock and Talbot Bridge were once the site of a worsted textile mill. A…

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10th Lock Ashtown Famine Man and Bronze Shoes. 2
DUBLIN FINGAL 3
3.45km to

Ashtown

The 10th Lock at Ashtown is the site of a third mill, just beyond Longford…

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O'Connell Statue and Monument, National Famine Way.
DUBLIN CITY 1
1.15km to

Glasnevin

There is a very short distance between the 5th and 6th Locks where you will see…

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Croke Park Bronze Shoes.
DUBLIN CITY 2
3.45km to

Croke Park

The Gaelic Athletic Association National Stadium, Museum, Shop and Skyline…

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Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship, National Famine Way.
DUBLIN CITY 3
2.35km to

Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship

A ten-year project saw a replica of a Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship launched in…

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Day 6 - Maynooth to Dublin. Arrival of Famine walkers on Custom House Quay Famine Sculptures and Jeanie Johnston.
DUBLIN CITY 4
0.1km to

Trailhead by Famine Statues

Your journey ends at the renowned Famine Memorial sculptures by Rowan…

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Daniel Tighe’s Story, National Famine Way.
watermark-1

Daniel Tighe’s Story

Twelve year old Daniel is the focus of the free app and central story of the National Famine Way™. This young emigrant survived the long walk and horrific sea voyage on which he was orphaned in 1847 to make a new life for himself in Quebec, Canada through adoption. A project tracing his descendants led to a poignant visit by his great grandson to Strokestown.

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“Remember your soul and your liberty”, declared James Quinn, Thomas & Patrick Quinn.
watermark-ship-2

“Remember Your
Soul and Your
Liberty” James Quinn, 1847

Of the Quinn Family – a party of 7 only Thomas aged 6 and Patrick aged 12 survived. Their 3 siblings – Joseph aged 3 and two others names unknown along with their Mother Margaret (Peggy) Lyons Quinn aged 40 passed away. As did their Father James Quinn aged 45 at the Fever Sheds on Grosse Ile. It was here Thomas and Patrick were brought to his deathbed to hear is dying advice to his only remaining children.

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