THE instigator of plans for a memorial to those who fled to Scotland from the 19th Century Irish Famine has said he will quit the project, slating the work of the official group advancing the scheme.

Echoing criticisms of the handling of the Famine Memorial from Scotland's leading historian Professor Sir Tom Devine, Glasgow councillor Feargal Dalton accused the group of lacking ambition and failing to embrace public enthusiasm for the scheme.

Mr Dalton, who instigated the proposals for the tribute to the Irish and Highland Gaels who migrated to the city during "An Gorta Mor", said without a major overhaul of the running of the city council-run project he "feels unable to support further progress".

But the head of the memorials group said the worthiness of the project should not be "measured by the yard or in dollar bills" and that it remained wedded to Mr Dalton's idea.

The move is a further blow to the scheme, which Sir Tom said last month had been characterised by amateurism and lacked expertise and understanding.

Urging the city council to further engage the public, Sir Tom also described the 100,000 who fled to the Glasgow to escape starvation in Ireland in the 1840s was a pivotal moment in the city's history and changing the complexion of the west of Scotland.

The working group's proposals will finalised by the summer recess.

It is understood the latest plans will be located at a two-metre square patch in Glasgow Green.

In his letter to the chairman of the group, Labour's Matt Kerr, councillor Dalton said failure to publicly promote the plan was denying it public contributions which could fund a major memorial on a par with many of those in the US.

Colleagues of the SNP councillor have accused the Labour administration of being fearful of a negative reaction from certain groups, while also comparing the Famine plans with the political and corporate push for a statue to Rent Strikers heroine Mary Barbour.

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is to make a £5000 donation to the Mary Barbour Fund.

Mr Dalton said: "The very well attended and successful public meeting with Tom Devine reinforces my concerns. "Our current ambition does not sufficiently reflect the very enthusiastic views expressed by those who attended the public meeting. If we truly want to say that we fully consulted the public then we must respond to their comments. "However, since the public meeting we seem to have taken nothing on board.

"New York's memorial is now a significant tourist attraction. Considering that Glasgow and New York experienced similarly high levels of migration, higher than any other cities in the world, I feel it appropriate that Glasgow has the same ambition for its memorial. Anything less will be rightly criticised."

He added: "I have asked at several meetings that the whole issue of how the public could contribute financially be investigated. To date this has not been done. Without this being determined and an increase in our ambition, I feel unable to support further progress."

Mr Kerr said the working group faced several challenges, adding: "We have brought together organisations and individuals who, frankly, do not often find themselves in the same room and politicians should take their lead from the generosity and respect they have shown each other.

"To accept defeat, walk away or regard our task as too difficult, too controversial, too uncomfortable for Glasgow to confront would tell a very sad and, I think, unfair story of our city."