The idea for an Irish Famine Memorial was first announced by Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn in May 1993, and the original spot was located at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

[1] When Flynn left City Hall to become U.S. ambassador to the Vatican in 1993,[2] the project languished for a few years, until Thomas J. Flatley, an Irish-American real estate tycoon based in Boston, stepped in to revitalize it.

In April, 1996, Flatley announced his intention to spearhead the project, and on May 1, convened a full committee meeting that included Irish-American officials, business leaders, historians and university presidents.

The group set about soliciting design bids with the help of the Boston Arts Commission, and in April 1997, selected sculptor Robert Shure to create the Famine memorial.

[6] In response to the criticism, Boston Irish Reporter columnist Bill O'Donnell wrote, "Once again we learn that they (writers, journalists, et al.) don’t like the memorial.

The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District and a nearby Walgreens pharmacy help with cleaning the park area, but the site was described in 2013 as a "magnet for vagrants and pigeons".