HAMDEN, Conn. (WTNH)– It’s St. Patrick’s Day today and we wanted to give you a little taste of Irish culture. We took a tour of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University. It’s innovative way to learn about Irish history through Irish art.

The museum showcases Irish artists and Irish American artists.  It opened just a couple years ago, and in that short time they’ve had over 21,000 visitors from all over the world.

There is no other museum like this in the states or even Ireland. It’s also largest art collection in the world related to the Great Hunger, also known as the potato famine in Ireland from 1845-1852, which devastated the population of Ireland.

There are a few pieces of artwork that were actually painted during the famine

“For many Irish, the potato was their sole substance. They ate the potato, their live stock ate the potato, they would use it to purchase other things, so when the potato failed their whole livelihood failed. So not only could they not sustain themselves, but their families,” said Grace Brady, Executive Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University.

Right now Qunnipiac is working on a new exhibition in collaboration with a museum in Ireland and, in a few years they hope bring  the collection to Dublin.

The museum is open today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is always free.