On October 26th, 2025, students of Concordia’s School of Irish Studies participated in a productive and illuminating headstone cleaning workshop organized by members of the Canadian Irish Migration Preservation Network. Hosted by researcher Katherine Diamond and President Kelley O’Rourke, the five volunteers eagerly went to work in Saint-Colomban’s historic Irish cemetery.

During the industrious day, Kelley O’Rourke provided the undergraduates students with the rich history of the area. The Saint-Colomban cemetery would become the final resting place for innumerable Irish immigrants, including victims of the Great Famine, soldiers having fought in the American Civil War, and even ancestors to members of the CIMPN.

Katherine Diamond would go on to reflect on the importance of community outreach and historical preservation as integral to the study of history for undergraduate students: “As a historian by trade, it remains incredibly important for me to remind future professionals that history isn’t just found between the covers of textbooks or inside classroom walls. History is all around us, and with the help of community and a little elbow grease, we can all help to preserve the past for future generations.

In only one short afternoon, the volunteers were able to clean thirteen headstones, preserving them for all future visitors to the cemetery to appreciate. The CIMPN is eager to host more cleaning events in the 2026 spring season for future volunteers.