Opening of Sydney Monument
On a beautiful and historic day, August 28th 1999, St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney was full to capacity for an ecumenical service of remembrance and thanksgiving in preparation for the unveiling of the Irish Famine Monument at Hyde Park Barracks later that day.
Officiating in the cathedral was Bishop David Cremin, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney who was assisted by the Dean of the Cathedral, The Very Rev. Tony Doherty. Representing the Presbyterian Church was The Rev. Richard McCracken while the Anglican Church was represented by The Rev. Dennis Wann. The haunting but comforting surrounds of St Mary's Cathedral played a perfect host to an ecumenical service that was moving and poignant.
The officiating clergy entered in procession to the words of 'The Itinerant Boy' (Lady Jane Wilde) and set to music by Patrick Cassidy in "Famine Remembrance"
"Fatherless and motherless, no brothers have I
And all my little sisters in the cold grave lie
Wasted with hunger I saw them falling dead
Lonely and bitter are the tears I shed"
To this haunting Irish air, 32 'orphan' girls carrying candles and lilies, and representing an orphan girl from each county of Ireland, walked in procession to the sanctuary. Accompanying each girl was a descendant of the original orphan girls.
From the dais each girl read out the name of the orphan she was representing e.g. Catherine Naughton, 18, Galway; Catherine Kean, 17, Clare; Margaret Devlin, 16, Armagh; Anne Bracken, 16, Roscommon; Mary Cassidy, 15, Longford etc.
After the service which lasted just over an hour, the gathering made its way to the courtyard of Hyde Park Barracks. There was a crowd of more than 2,500 comprising well-known figures. The guests of honour were:
- Sir William Deane, Governor-General of Australia.
- Richard O' Brien, The Ambassador of Ireland.
- Senator John Herron, representing the Prime Minister, Mr Howard
- The Hon. Laurie Ferguson MP, representing the leader of the opposition Kim Beazley
- The Hon Bob Debus, representing the Premier of NSW.
- Mr Frank Sartor, The Lord Mayor of Sydney.
- Jack Mundy, Chairman of the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales.
- Mr John Moriarty, Chairman of the Aboriginal Arts Board and Australia Council.
There were many other luminaries including the former Prime Minister The Hon. Gough Whitlam, and The Hon Al Grassby, former minister of Immigration. The Governor-General spoke with great compassion and empathy.
The Ambassador of Ireland said:
"In recent years we have not sought to look back in search of a lost identity or of a vanished coherence...this commemoration has instead allowed us to acknowledge the pain and the hurt of that horrifying period while at the same time leaving us to create a living, dynamic relationship with our past. We have recognised that we can neither be handcuffed to history nor should we be needlessly fugitive from it. This event for me is the most meaningful, poignant and historic I have experienced during my 30 years with Foreign Affairs."
It was a day marked with fervent emotion, particularly for the 800 descendants of the orphan girls who had travelled from the United States, New Zealand, Ireland and all the States and Territories of Australia.
Tom Power
Chairman
Links to other pages about the opening
