A famine monument created by a Donegal artist has been unveiled in Glasgow. John McCarron’s ‘Tower of Silence’ has gone on display in front of St Mary’s Church in Calton where Celtic Football Club was founded in 1888.

Depicting emaciated figures, the metal sculpture reflects the 100,000 Irish people who sought refuge in Glasgow during the famine of 1845-51.
The design, which was chosen out of dozens of applications, was created by John in collaboration with fellow sculptor Maurice Harron.

Among those who attended the unveiling ceremony was MP for the Calton area, Alison Thewliss.
She said, “Congratulations and thanks to the dedicated An Gorta Mór Committee for their work to build this memorial to An Gorta Mór. A very moving ceremony to unveil The Tower of Silence in its home in St Mary’s in the Calton.”

The piece is the first of its kind in Glasgow but the decision to erect it in the grounds of a Catholic church did attract some minor criticism.
Scottish historian Tom Devine pointed to the installation of another famine memorial in Glasgow Green in 2018 which remembered all victims of the disaster “be they Catholic, Irish, Protestant Irish or Protestant Gael”.

Referring to Coiste Cuimhneachain An Gorta Mór – the group behind the project – Mr Devine said, “Now one organisation brazenly announces a plan to establish, unhistorically, the ‘first’ memorial to the tragedy in the grounds of a Catholic church in Glasgow.”

But speaking to the Donegal News ahead of the ceremony John McCarron said his sculpture was in memory of everyone who lived and died during the famine.
The Inishowen man said, “This is in no way a Catholic monument and I don’t see why anyone would be offended because the famine did not distinguish what religion anyone was.

“It is a monument for all, for anyone who has any connection or interest in their ancestors who may have come from Ireland to Scotland in the 1840s.
“It is for those of all religions and none,” said the sculptor.

The Tower of Silence was three and a half years in the making due to a lengthy delay created by the pandemic.

John McCarron said working with Maurice Harron on the project was a dream come true.
“It is because of Maurice Harron, the genius, that the sculpture looks so well.
“It was built in his foundry in Burt and I am so proud to have been part of it. Collaborating with Maurice has been the highlight of my artistic career.”