National Famine Way

The National Famine Way is a historic 165km trail that traces the footsteps of Strokestown tenants, men, women and children who were marched from County Roscommon to Dublin in 1847 after they failed to pay their rent. In Dublin, they boarded a ship to Liverpool before journeying to North America on board some of the worst coffin ships of the time. Not all of them made it alive. They became known as the 'Missing 1490'.

This National Famine Way trail starts in Strokestown Park at the National Famine Museum and ends at the Famine statues in Dublin Docklands, close to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Dublin.

Immersive Experience

With its captivating layers of history and culture, the National Famine Way is a truly immersive experience. You can follow the trail on the free app. Find out more about the app on NationalFamineWay.ie.

You can also check out the Official National Famine Way Pack. This includes a personalised ticket naming one of the family groups who walked this trail in 1847, allowing you to truly walk in their footsteps. You will also receive a passport to stamp along your journey, which you can present at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin to receive a Certificate of Completion. At the museum, you will also discover what became of your family group on their journey in 1847. 

You can also see over thirty pairs of 19th-century bronze children’s shoe sculptures interspersed along the route which create a thought-provoking experience. Learn more about these Shoe Stories. 

National Famine Way through County Longford

The trail weaves mostly along the Royal Canal and can be completed in sections or all at once. As such, the County Longford section of the National Famine Way stretches from the county border beside Tarmonbarry through to the start of the Greenway Clondra, where it continues to the county border on the Westmeath side. 

Further Information

You can visit NationalFamineWay.ie or follow the National Famine Way on Facebook to see their latest news.

The National Famine Way is an inter-county collaboration between Waterways Ireland and County Councils along the route: Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Meath, Kildare, Fingal and Dublin.

It has been developed by Strokestown Park House, the National Famine Museum, and the Irish Heritage Trust in partnership with Waterways Ireland, the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, and EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.