The annual Great Irish Famine commemoration was held at the Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney on Saturday 16 August 2025. At the event, I gave the keynote address entitled “‘This monstrous injustice’: Colonial resistance to the Earl Grey famine immigration scheme“.

As usual, the master of ceremonies was Gerry Faulkner and the Consulate General of Ireland was represented this year by the new vice consul general Ciarán Claffey. The program included addresses by the committee president Patrick Corr and the director of the collections division of the Museums of History Martyn Killion. There was also a poetry reading by Dr Anne Casey followed by a presentation of the Great Irish Famine Memorial Award and the traditional wreath laying ceremony by descendants of the Irish famine orphans who were housed in the barracks from 1848 to 1850. Throughout the event Evelyn Shanley sang a number of Irish songs, accompanied on guitar by Jimmy McLoughlin.