According to some sources, nearly 40% of Quebec City's population is said to be of Irish origin.
While it's challenging to confirm this percentage precisely, it is certain that the connections between the city and its population of Irish origin are close, deep, and firmly rooted.
Historical Overview of the Arrival of the Irish in Quebec
Grosse Île
Grosse Île is the largest Irish mass cemetery on the planet, outside of Ireland itself. During the Great Irish Famine (1845-1850), it was the most important quarantine station in all of America! In 1847, it welcomed nearly 100,000 Irish people in distress, while Quebec City had no more than 35,000 inhabitants! More than 5,500 Irish are buried on Grosse-Île. Several Catholic and Anglican priests from Quebec also died there while providing care and prayers to refugees from the Great Famine.
Pioneers in unionism
Did you know that Catholic Irish were pioneers of unionism in Canada? In the mid-19th century, they founded the Quebec Ship Labourers' Benevolent Society. They succeeded in limiting the working day of dockworkers at the Port of Quebec to 8 hours and negotiated better wages with Protestant employers. All of this happened nearly 100 years before the existence of employment insurance and old-age pensions! Importantly, they also integrated French-Canadian workers into their union, which remained a labor force for over 100 years in Quebec!
Lord Dufferin (Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood)
Lord Dufferin (Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood) served as the Governor-General of Canada from 1872 to 1878. As a wealthy landowner in Ulster (present-day Northern Ireland), this Anglo-Irish nobleman had a strong affection for Quebec. Thanks to his intervention, the fortifications of Quebec were saved from the hands of so-called "modern" architects, whom he himself referred to as vandals. He obtained grants from Queen Victoria to preserve the built heritage of Old Quebec. The famous Dufferin Terrace, certainly one of the most visited places in Old Quebec, is named in honor of this Protestant Irishman.
Charles Gavan "Chubby" Power
Are you familiar with Charles Gavan "Chubby" Power? His career is quite impressive! Born in Sillery in 1888, this Irishman from Quebec scored 44 goals in 23 games for the Quebec Bulldogs hockey club in 1908. Becoming a volunteer soldier, he was seriously injured during World War I. Upon returning home, he was elected as the federal deputy for the "Irish" riding of Quebec-South and was appointed minister several times. Chubby Power is remarkable: a Canadian federalist, he always advocated for Ireland's independence from the British Empire and vehemently opposed conscription in 1944, even submitting his resignation to his old friend, Prime Minister Mackenzie King. His father, William, was also a member of the Quebec Parliament, as was his son and grandson, Lawrence Cannon, a deputy and minister in Stephen Harper's government.
Official languages
Ireland has two official languages: Irish Gaelic (a Celtic heritage) and the English language (a British heritage). Gaelic was not widely spoken in Quebec. The immigrants from Ireland were predominantly English-speaking upon their arrival here. However, there are instances where people in Quebec chose to speak Gaelic. In October 1920, Quebecers of Irish origin gathered in honor of the mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney, who died after a 74-day hunger strike in an English prison. At St. Patrick's Church, they knelt and recited prayers in Gaelic for the soul of MacSwiney, a very impressive session according to the attending journalists!
The Irish influence
From 1815 to 1930, the Irish formed the second-largest ethnocultural community in Quebec, second only to the French Canadians. It's no wonder that the Quebec landscape is dotted with Irish names. The villages of Mayo in Outaouais, Kildare in Lanaudière, Saint-Malachie in Bellechasse, Armagh or St-Patrice-de-Beaurivage on the south shore of Quebec City bear witness to this. But the most striking example of the Irish presence is in Shannon, a suburb of Quebec City. This haven of traditional Irish dance in Quebec recalls a famous river in the West of Ireland. Anyone visiting Shannon will see the Irish presence in street names: St-Patrick, Cannon, Conway, Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Tyrone, Wexford... What better way to feel the impact of Ireland in Quebec!
The Knights of Columbus
Did you know that the Knights of Columbus and the Daughters of Isabella are Irish-American creations? The first groups of Knights of Columbus that established themselves in Quebec were all of Irish origin, whether in Montreal, Trois-Rivières, or Quebec City. Their secret handshake, rituals, but also the watchful eye of the Catholic priest-chaplain, harken back to the origins of secret Irish groups that sought to spread the good news against the "unholy" influence of the Anglo-Saxon. The Knights of Columbus in Quebec were initially the "Knights of Columbus"!
Irish immigration in Quebec
Quebec is where the first Irish immigrants in Canada settled! By 1810, 1,000 Irish were living in Quebec. This number increased with the arrival of Irish refugees during the Cholera crisis (1832) and especially the Great Famine (1845-1850). In 1870, 51% of the entire English-speaking population of Old Quebec was of Irish origin. Today, the Quartier du Petit Champlain is one of the most touristy areas of Old Quebec. From 1820 to 1930, however, it was the neighborhood where the majority of the Irish population concentrated. At the foot of Cap Diamant, the place had a bad reputation. Poverty, difficult working conditions, and frequent landslides made life laborious for families living on "Little Champlain Street," as it was called then! Until the 1920s, the street was still covered with wooden planks, while the surrounding streets were already paved...
Sillery
Sillery, a very Irish city! Wealthier Irish moved from the Champlain neighborhood to Sillery at the end of the 19th century, along the river and finding jobs in factories and on boats. However, the francization of the neighborhood changed the face of Sillery significantly. The son of Irish immigrants, Alexandre-Eustache Maguire, was the pastor of St-Colomba Parish in Sillery from 1894 until 1934! By organizing work parties, he initiated the construction of one of the most prominent avenues in Quebec: Maguire Avenue. As a sign of the integration of the Irish, it is often called today "Magoire" Avenue! St-Colomba Parish, founded in 1854, was renamed St-Michel-de-Sillery in 1969. In the significant cemetery of Sillery, one can reflect in front of numerous graves with Irish names and those of famous figures in Quebec life, including Father Maguire... and René Lévesque!
The Irish in the police force
Did you know that the Irish were very numerous in the Quebec City police force? Like several North American cities, the Irish were overrepresented in law enforcement. In 1840, even though 60% of Quebec's population was francophone, the Irish made up 81% of the police force! Many were Irish Protestants, including the first chief of police, Robert-Henry Russell (1838-1858), and William King McCord (1847-1852). They were hired not so much to avoid clashes between Francophones and Anglophones, but more to repress misconduct in the less fortunate neighborhoods near the river, which attracted sailors, soldiers, and transient people. Irish policemen spoke English and were well-placed to calm the ardor of English-speaking soldiers, workers, dockers, or sailors, whether they were Irish, Scottish, or English! Also, as the British colonial regime supervised public order, it is not surprising to see primarily English speakers hired after the rebellions of 1837-1838.
Establishment
During this time, the Irish found employment in the lumber yards of the Quebec City region, often loading ships bound for Great Britain.
They settled in the areas of Cap Diamant, Prés-de-Ville, the suburbs of Saint-Jean and Saint-Louis, Beauport, Cap-Rouge, and especially Sillery, where they formed the majority of the population in 1861.
The Irish in Quebec City fully participated in the city's development. Over time, they became involved in businesses, trade unions, the press, liberal professions, the business world, politics, sports, and cultural activities.
Marriages with the local population were also common, leading to a blending that profoundly altered the city's social composition. Today, many Quebecers have Irish origins, often concealed behind French surnames.
Yes, it goes without saying that the contribution of the Irish community to Quebecois culture is significant.
Thus, St. Patrick's Day in Quebec is a great opportunity to celebrate this longstanding friendship together!
Did you know? Here are some facts about the Irish worldwide and in Quebec:
The shamrock is the most commonly associated Irish symbol during St. Patrick's Day festivities worldwide?
According to legend, Saint Patrick used it as an image to convert the Irish people to Christianity, illustrating the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—separate, yet one.
Several French-origin families adopted Irish orphans in 1847?
In 2000, Ireland gifted Quebec with a Celtic cross as a symbol of gratitude for the solidarity and hospitality shown by its residents during the time of the Great Famine in Ireland.