A Reflection on Ireland’s Strength and Sacrifice
In the heart of Ireland’s history lies a tragic yet deeply resilient story — the story of the Great Famine, or An Gorta Mór, which decimated the Irish population between 1845 and 1852. What many fail to grasp is not just the horror of hunger, but the cruel paradox that Ireland, while starving, was still exporting enough food to England to feed its population twice over. This grim irony is the beating heart behind my latest piece, Penny Soup — a sculpture that captures the heartache of this period but also the unyielding spirit of the Irish people.
A Pot Filled with Pennies: The Price of Survival
At the center of Penny Soup is a small, 120+ year-old cast iron pot, a staple in Irish households, symbolic of warmth, nourishment, and community. In this piece, however, the pot is filled not with food, but with Irish pennies (punt), a visual metaphor for how wealth and sustenance were kept out of reach for most. During the famine, though the Irish were growing crops and raising livestock, much of this was seized and exported to England, leaving the people to starve in their own abundant fields. My choice to fill the pot with pennies signifies that while food was technically available, the poor could not afford it, and the bitter reality was that you can’t eat penny soup.
The Spoon: A Symbol of Lost Tradition
Resting atop the pennies is an old, hand-carved wooden spoon — a tool passed down through generations, often crafted by hand. In this context, the spoon becomes a symbol of Ireland’s rich tradition of craftsmanship and survival, now rendered useless in a land ravaged by hunger. Despite having the means and knowledge to prepare food, the Irish were starved by an external force. The spoon, like the people, is trapped between tradition and tragedy, unable to fulfill its purpose.
The phrase "you can't eat penny soup" becomes both a literal and a symbolic reminder of how Ireland was forced to choose between survival and dignity, faith and starvation.
The Wire Figures: A Reflection of Hard Choices
Beside the pot stands a woman made from copper wire, holding a small copper wire baby in her arms. These figures represent the heartbreaking choices faced by Irish families, particularly women. During the famine, many Irish Catholics were forced to decide between converting to Protestantism or facing starvation. "Taking the soup" became synonymous with giving up one's faith in exchange for sustenance. My wire figures embody the tension between maintaining cultural and religious identity and the primal need to feed one’s family.
Copper, soft yet resilient, speaks to the Irish spirit — malleable but not easily broken. Even in the face of unimaginable hardship, the Irish have remained strong, holding onto their culture and faith. The woman and her child represent the resilience of Irish mothers who kept their families together during the darkest times, despite the pressure to abandon their identity for the sake of survival.
The Turf and Branches: Ireland's Roots and Homes
The base of Penny Soup is made from turf, the very earth of Ireland, reminding us of the peat bogs and mud floors that once supported Irish homes. Turf, or móin, was not just fuel for heating homes but the very foundation of life for rural Ireland. In many ways, this element of the sculpture represents the humbleness and simplicity of Irish life, lived close to the land. It also speaks to the sheer endurance of the Irish people, who were connected deeply to their homeland despite its hardship.
Surrounding the pot are small dry branches, reflecting the barrenness of the Irish landscape during the famine, when people were reduced to foraging for food and fuel. These branches are a symbol of both desolation and perseverance, as the Irish held fast to their roots, even as their homeland withered around them.
The Pot of Gold: A Dark Joke in Folklore
The pot filled with pennies is also a bitter nod to the Irish legend of the leprechaun’s pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. During the famine, hope was often a cruel joke — many Irish emigrants left in search of better fortunes, only to find continued hardship. The idea of a pot of gold, symbolic of the elusive promise of prosperity, contrasts sharply with the reality of poverty and death faced by the Irish at home.
In this piece, the pot of pennies is not gold, but a grim reminder that wealth and abundance meant little when it did not reach those who needed it most. The British government’s refusal to halt the export of grain and cattle during the famine was akin to filling a pot with pennies — utterly useless for the people who were dying of hunger.
The Heart of the Irish: A Flame That Never Died
At its core, Penny Soup is about survival, not just of the body but of the soul. Despite the famine, despite the forced conversions, despite the starvation, Ireland's spirit remained unbroken. In the darkest times, our ancestors kept the light of Irish culture and faith burning, passing it down through the generations.
Today, the scars of the famine remain etched in the Irish psyche, but so too does the strength of our people. While Penny Soup reflects the tragedy of a nation starved by external greed, it also honors the resilience of those who refused to be defeated by it. In every spoon, in every nail, in every grain of turf — Ireland’s story lives on, not as one of defeat, but of enduring strength.
Final Reflection: The Weight of History
As we look at Penny Soup, we are reminded that history is not just a story of the past; it is carried with us, shaping our present and our future. The famine was not just a natural disaster, but a political one, exacerbated by British policies that prioritized profit over people. The Irish were exporting food while they starved, and the pennies in this sculpture serve as a stark reminder that wealth and power meant little to the starving millions.
Yet, for all its darkness, Penny Soup is also a tribute to the unyielding strength of the Irish people. No, you can’t eat penny soup — but you can find strength in the shared history, the cultural pride, and the faith that carried our ancestors through the worst of times. That, more than anything, is the legacy of Ireland.
This piece, like many of my works, is a meditation on that legacy, a conversation between past and present. Penny Soup may be a reminder of what we lost, but it is also a celebration of what we’ve held onto — our faith, our culture, and our undying spirit.
Made with love and thought by Ashley Curran.