Every nation has a terrible drought or famine hidden among the pages of its history. But every such nation won't get the opportunity to dedicate a museum specifically to the art of that period and narrate its story. Except Ireland, which has.

Thousands of miles away from its borders, the world's largest collection of visual art, artifacts and printed materials relating to the Irish Famine will be housed at Quinnipiac University's recently opened "Ireland's Great Hunger Museum, Músaem An Ghorta Mhóir" at 3011 Whitney Avenue, near the University's Mount Carmel and York Hill campuses.

The museum was declared open Friday, Sept.28.

The Great Famine of Ireland or the Irish Potato famine, from 1845 to 1852, was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration. For Irish citizens, it was similar to the U.S. Civil War. The period was called The Great Hunger.

The art collection will focus on this period, when blight destroyed virtually all of Ireland's potato crops. The crop destruction, coupled with the British government's indifference to the plight of the Irish, who at the time were part of the United Kingdom, resulted in the deaths of more than 1 million Irish men, women and children, and the emigration of more than 2 million to nations around the world to evade their fate.

The tragedy occurred even though there was more than adequate food in the country to feed its starving population. Ironically, exports of food and livestock from Ireland actually increased during the years of the Great Hunger.

"The museum will preserve, build and present its art collection in order to stimulate reflection, inspire imagination and advance awareness of Ireland's Great Hunger and its long aftermath on both sides of the Atlantic," said university president John L. Lahey.

The museum will feature works by noted contemporary Irish artists including internationally-known sculptors John Behan, Rowan Gillespie and Eamonn O'Doherty; as well as contemporary visual artists Robert Ballagh, Alanna O'Kelly, Brian Maguire and Hughie O'Donoghue

The museum will be open to public Wednesdays 10-5; Thursdays 10-7; Fridays and Saturdays 10-5; and Sundays 1-5 from Oct.11 onward.