CIMPN-RCPMI's blog

Pour bien comprendre l'immigration irlandaise, il faut d'abord comprendre le contexte dans lequel les irlandais sont arrivés et se sont vus attribuer des terres.

Les terres en question étaient contrôlées par les Sulpiciens, une société française de prêtres diocésains, connus notemment pour leur statut d'élites, d'académiciens et de missionaires. Contrairement à d'autres institutions religieuses de l'époque (comme les Jésuites), les Sulpiciens ne prononcaient pas de vœux de pauvreté. Ils étaient avant tout des propriétaires terriens puissants et influents. Ils furent les Seigneurs de l'île de Montréal pendant près de 200 ans (de 1663 à 1854) en plus de la Seigneurie qu'ils administraient au Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes et la Seigneurie de Saint-Sulpice.

Entre 1821 et 1829, les irlandais aux côtés britaniques se sont installés dans la Seigneurie du Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes dans le cadre d'une initiative de la monarchie britannique pour peupler la région. Ils se sont établis au nord-ouest de la Seigneurie, dans ce qui deviendra plus tard St Colomban. A cette époque, la Rivière-du-Nord constituait une barrière naturelle entre les colonies anglophones et francophones.

La paroisse de St Colomban a vu le jour très rapidement : 28 000 acres ont été allouées en dix ans, de 1820 à 1829. Cette surface est à peu près équivalente à 21 200 terrains de football, le tout légèrement plus grand que l'actuelle municipalité d'Oka.

For the 67th time Our Lady of Knock Shrine at St Malachy's Church in Mayo Quebec, will be holding a pilgrimage to honour Our Lady's apparition.

The Eucharist will be celebrated in English by Bishop Jean-Louis Piouffe assisted by Father Greg Murray of St. Malachy's parish.

Visit Pilgrimage 2024 for more information

Location

Our Lady of Knock Shrine 3889 Route 315 Mayo, Quebec

Contact:

Mrs. Ellen Butler - 819-986-3860

Mrs. Virginia Sellers - 819-281-6490

mayopilgrimage@gmail.com

To fully understand Irish settlement, we must first understand the context in which they arrived and were granted land to live on. 

The land was controlled by the Sulpicians, a French society of diocesan priests, often remembered as wealthy, educated elites, academics, and missionaries. Contrary to other religious institutions at the time (like the Jesuites), the Sulpicians never took vows of poverty. They were first and foremost powerful and influential landowners. They held the island of Montreal for almost 200 years (1663 to 1854) in addition to the Seigneurie they administered in the Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes and the Seigneurie de Saint-Sulpice.

Between 1821 and 1829, Irish and British immigrants settled in the Seigneurie du Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes as part of the British monarchy's initiative to populate the area. They established themselves in the northwest of the Seigneurie, in what would later be known as St Colomban. At the time, the Rivière-du-Nord (North River) provided a natural buffer between the Anglophone and Francophone settlements.

The speed at which St Colomban was formed was remarkable—28,000 acres were allocated within ten years, from 1820 to 1829. This expanse is roughly equivalent to 21,200 football fields and slightly larger than the current municipality of Oka.

QAHN's 2024 Heritage Talks presents: "Stone by Stone: The Canadian Irish Migration Preservation Network and Irish Cemetery Restoration, Preservation, Education and Genealogical Research," with Kelley O'Rourke, Laurie McKeown, and Fergus Keyes

Tue, Feb 13 2024 , 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Note: For Zoom attendees, registration is required via the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qdOiqqzMpGNew6n_DDVtdn63YD9BSniTD#/registration

This presentation will shine a spotlight on The Canadian Irish Migration Preservation Network’s ongoing restoration efforts within the historic Saint-Colomban Cemetery. The meticulous work undertaken by volunteers and professionals to clean and revitalize these historic monuments, honours the memory of early Irish settlers. The first completed map of the historic section of the Saint-Colomban Cemetery will also be unveiled. This valuable resource will be available on the CIMPN website alongside historical narratives that bring to life the stories of these early Irish settlers.

On October 24, 2023 Kelley O'Rourke, President of the Canadian Irish Migration Preservation Network delivered an online presentation about the network, our vision and our recent work.

March 17, 2022 - As you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today, remember the reason for the season. While  raising your glass of Guinness or Jameson and amoung the many sláintes, remember the generations of Irish immigrants who laid the foundation for the celebrations of today. Even though it’s a day to celebrate Irish heritage, it is also a day to remember our historical past and the values of our migrant relatives. St. Patrick’s Day has recently been criticized for propagating Irish stereotypes, for promoting  excessive drinking and ignoring the cultural and religious significance of the day.

Irish immigration to Canada began as early as the 17th Century with the numbers increasing significantly in the wake of the Irish famine. The Great Potato Famine known as The Great Hunger- La Gorta Mor (1845-1852) resulted in one million Irish men, women and children perishing by starvation and disease while another one million emigrated to escape this fate.