Carrick’s darkest history brought to life for Culture Night

Bronze sculpture at St Patrick’s Hospital, which was once the local Workhouse. The sculpture, by artist Donnacha Tracy, honours the Earl Grey Girls. Photo Gerry Faughnan.

placeholder image — Bronze sculpture at St Patrick’s Hospital, which was once the local Workhouse. The sculpture, by artist Donnacha Tracy, honours the Earl Grey Girls. Photo Gerry Faughnan.

Leitrim Male Choir and Ensemble 32 join forces for a powerful night of words, music and local history

A powerful performance exploring famine, emigration and the history of Carrick-on-Shannon’s workhouse will take place in the town for Culture Night 2026. What Remains will bring Ensemble 32 and Leitrim Male Choir together for a special one-hour performance at the Famine Attic Memorial at St Patrick’s Hospital, Summerhill, on Friday, September 18 at 7.30pm.

Hosted by St George’s Heritage and Visitor Centre and presented by Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group, the performance will use words and music to delve into fragments of local history and memory.

The historic setting will form an important part of the event, with the performance taking place in the Workhouse Attic Memorial, a space closely connected to the area’s famine and workhouse history.

Through readings, poetry and song, Ensemble 32 and Leitrim Male Choir will revisit some of the people and stories connected with the past, with themes including the workhouse, famine and emigration.

The event also draws attention to the story of the Earl Grey Girls and their voyage to Australia — part of the wider story of Irish emigration during the famine era. Thousands of girls and young women were sent from Irish workhouses to Australia under the Earl Grey emigration scheme in the late 1840s, with the Culture Night event turning the focus towards this history and its local connections.

Rather than a conventional historical talk, What Remains will combine performance, music and spoken word to bring those memories into the historic space for one evening. The event takes place at the Famine Attic Memorial, St Patrick’s Hospital, Summerhill, Carrick-on-Shannon, N41 P897, at 7.30pm on Friday, September 18.

Admission is free and the performance is suitable for all ages, but advance booking is required. The venue is not wheelchair accessible. For bookings and further information, contact St George’s Heritage and Visitor Centre on 071 9621757 or email [email protected].