From June 16th to June 20th, the Canadian Irish Migration Preservation Network (CIMPN) research team embarked on a productive four-day trip to Quebec City. Project Manager and Researcher Katherine Diamond, Researcher and Interviewer Samara O’Gorman, and Videographer and Researcher Evita-Marie Di Falco boarded the VIA Rail train from Montreal in the afternoon of June 16th, enjoying a scenic view and green fields of the Quebec countryside before arriving at their home base in Sainte-Foy.
Joe Lonergan and Samara O’Groman at the Irish Heritage Quebec Office. Photo credit: CIMPN-RCPMI.
Walking the Historic Streets of Old Quebec
On June 17th, while Katherine attended the Canadian Association for Irish Studies (CAIS) conference, Evita and Samara headed into the heart of Old Quebec. There, Samara connected with Joe Lonergan, the Past President of Irish Heritage Quebec.
Their day began at the Irish Heritage Quebec office with an insightful conversation regarding the history of the Quebec Ship Labourers Benevolent Society and Champlain Street. Following this, Joe generously treated the team to an exclusive, nearly four-hour Irish heritage walking tour through the historic, cobblestone streets of Old Quebec. From the Plains of Abraham and the Celtic Cross to St. Patrick’s Church, Samara and Evita walked through Quebec’s Irish history, capturing stories and sites that form the core of CIMPN’s Irish Mile™ interactive map.
Deep Roots and Upcoming Commemoration
Bryan O’Gallagher with Samara O’Gorman at the office of the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Quebec Photo credit: CIMPN-RCPMI.
The following day brought a dramatic shift in weather, but not in spirits. While the tour with Joe was blessed with beautiful sunshine, June 18th brought torrential rain. Fortunately, the team’s next interview was with Bryan O’Gallagher, and the office of the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Quebec happened to be right across the street from their accommodation.
Sheltered from the downpour, Bryan and Samara sat down for a captivating interview. Their discussion spanned decades of local history, touching upon the legacy of St. Brigid’s Home, the enduring impact of Irish heritage in Quebec, and the upcoming Canada-Ireland 180 commemorations.
Coming This Summer
The wealth of knowledge gathered from both Joe Lonergan and Bryan O’Gallagher were all captured by Evita and will be edited into oral history videos. These interviews will be launched across CIMPN’s social media channels this summer.
The Celtic Cross stands in Artillery Park on McMahon Street in Quebec City. The Cross was donated to Irish Heritage Quebec by Irish philanthropist James Callery, founder of the Strokestown Park and National Famine Museum in County Roscommon, Ireland. Photo credit: CIMPN-RCPMI.
This successful trip marks just one chapter of an ongoing mission. The CIMPN team looks forward to traveling to more regions across Quebec, continuing to record vital oral history interviews and anchoring them directly onto the digital map.
This trip was made possible through the generous support by the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise (SRQEA).