Féile na Beatha '23: From Hurt to Healing to Sustainability
Channel: Afri
Date: 2023-03-28

The Féile na Beatha/Festival of Living – From Hurt to Healing to Sustainability brings together a group of like-minded people to facilitate free events which provide an opportunity to reflect on the impact of An Gorta Mór/The Great Hunger in Carlow and what we can do together to help shape a better and more sustainable future.

Féile na Beatha is built around the Carlow Famine Walk, which was initiated in 2015 by Afri, an organisation that promotes global justice and peace and South East Technological University.

SETU chaplain Fr Martin Smith brought Joe Murray of Afri to visit Carlow’s Famine graveyard and pointed out that the college was built on the site of the old workhouse.

About 3,000 bodies are believed to be buried in the graveyard – a stark reminder of the hardship endured by the people of the region during the darkest period of our history.

The walk from the SETU campus to the Famine graveyard provides a way of remembering those who died in the Carlow region, the million who died throughout Ireland and the million-plus who were forced to flee their homeland during An Gorta.

The 2023 festival volunteers included staff and social care students from SETU Carlow Campus and Carlow College, Carlow County Development Partnership, A Partnership with Africa (APA) and Carlow County Council, all under the inspirational guidance of Joe Murray of Afri.

This year, the Féile na Beatha/Festival of Living began with an art exhibition in Carlow College. ***The Displaced*** is a series of 30 powerful sculptures by local artist Jim Donnelly, which serve as a reflection of the impact of the Great Hunger in Ireland.

APA’s Get up and Goals charity shop project is a new collaborator in the Festival of Living 2023 and this year with funding from Irish Aid and Afri.

The grand finale of the festival was a free public discussion on the main themes of the festival and includes an exhibition of artwork, music and poetry in Carlow College.

The 2023 organising group of Joe Murray, Fr Martin Smith, Ger James, Denise Lyons, Jim Donnelly, Stephanie McDermott, John McHugh and Mella Cusack confidently foresee that this exciting initiative will grow and develop in future years.

For over four decades Afri has been involved in opposing war, promoting food sovereignty and tackling climate change - working especially with  Secondary and Third level students as well as with the general public. We organise the annual Famine Walk in Mayo, a Hedge School in TU Blanchardstown and Féile Bríde in Kildare. Thank you for continuing to support our work.

https://www.afri.ie