This is an opportunity for you to contribute to the future of the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail by helping to inform decisions about the design of the Trail’s plaques.
Your voice matters. We need your help to make this unique heritage trail accessible to everyone.
Thirty years ago, determined volunteers faced down colonial prejudice and chronic under-resourcing to create something extraordinary: Liverpool’s Irish Famine memorial and trail. Working before the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the Liverpool Great Hunger Commemoration Committee achieved the impossible and opened a memorial, with then-President Mary McAleese herself in attendance. Did you know? Liverpool’s Famine Trail displays more Irish language (Gaeilge) in public spaces than anywhere outside Ireland itself.Today, their legacy needs your help.
The memorial structure itself remains in excellent condition, but the world has changed. We now understand that accessibility means better connectivity, bigger and clearer fonts, and alternative access points. We’ve learned that information celebrating specific moments can quickly become outdated, and we know that visitors need clear connections between sites to follow a trail properly.
Most importantly, we’ve learned that this incredible heritage belongs not just to Liverpool, but to Irish diaspora communities worldwide.
In February 2024, we brought together some of the original committee members, alongside historians, artists, and community groups, for a collaborative visioning day. Together, we identified changes that we know are needed, which include:
- Better accessibility: Clearer fonts, improved positioning, modern design standards.
- Updated information: Removing dated references and adding contemporary context.
- Digital enhancement: We launched our app in October 2024, which is still growing, now with plans to incorporate accessible QR coding*, BSL videos, braille downloads, and children’s features.
* Not all QR codes are created equal – some show more accessibility than others. BSL and Braille are their own languages, rather than translations of English. Pursuing greater accessibility means adapting new tools to ensure equity.
For the next few weeks, you’ll see a temporary installation at the memorial site at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, sharing our proposed improvements, which include:
- A redesigned suite of plaques.
- Plans for bronze shoes and better interpretive signage.
- Suggested new lighting concept, etc.
But here’s the crucial part: We Want Your Input. Your voice. Your heritage
Don’t miss your chance to shape this heritage for the next generation. The deadline for feedback to contribute to this project and its final focus group discussion is Friday 5 December 2025. The plaques may be 30 years old, but the history they preserve is timeless. Help us make sure it stays that way.
Find out more: www.liverpoolirishfestival.com/help-trail-future/.
Categories: 2025 | Community & Participation | Festivals & Events
