Fifty Irish Lives in Canada: 1661 to 2016
Dr. Eamonn McKee and Professor Mark G. McGowan (Editors)
Fifty Irish Lives in Canada: Preface by Dr. Eamonn McKee
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) published Irish Lives in America in December 2021. By then I had been in Ottawa for just over a year as Ambassador. Surely, I thought, the story of the Irish in Canada merited a similar volume; even more so as it had been barely known either side of the North Atlantic.
Professor Mark McGowan immediately endorsed the idea of a Canadian version. Within days of ricocheting emails, the enthusiastic and willing response of the prospective contributors launched what was, for all involved, a labour of both love and discovery. Sage and expert advice flowed from Mark, David Wilson, Michele Holmgren, Jane McCaughey, and Elizabeth Smyth, among others.
To avoid being overwhelmed, we decided to limit the candidates for profiles to those who had been born in Ireland and who had already died. We realised quickly that we should strive to embrace not just those whose achievements gave them prominence, but those whose ‘ordinary’ lives were emblematic of the immigrant experience.
From the outset, it was clear that we had a notable preponderance of male candidates and a shortage of women, at least in any significant numbers and certainly far short of any balance. Society at the time and in recorded history rendered half the population invisible: lack of respect, education, and encouragement denied most women opportunities in life and a place in the record books. Many of those who made an impact suffered anonymisation. We have tried to remedy this but there is much work to be done to recover women and their contribution, whether quotidian or prominent.
As the project gathered pace, we grasped that not only was the story fascinating, it was also complex. The portfolio of lives we had assembled demonstrated the many and varied roles played by the Irish, but all in some way contributed to the European settlement project in North America, with all of the dire consequences for Indigenous communities. Over three centuries, these Irish lives were lived in a dynamic context. This context was defined by the symbiotic relationship between the colony of Ireland, England’s first imperial adventure, and Canada, England’s valued, strategic colony and later partner.
I want to thank all those who have been involved in this project, particularly the contributors who so readily volunteered their expertise as well as their commitment. Mark McGowan’s support and advice has been as unerring as it has been invaluable. His overview essay of the patterns of Irish migration to British North America captures their duration and complexity with eloquence born of a lifetime devoted to understanding the story of the Irish in Canada. I would like to acknowledge the commitment and support of James Maloney MP whose leadership in Parliament led to March being officially designated Irish Heritage Month, a spur to our efforts and this publication.
The RIA provided not only the inspiration for this volume, but also timely encouragement and advice. We adhered to its model in limiting each profile to 1000 words. That is no easy task, as we quickly learned. However, the adherence to such concision elicited the essence of each life. I hope we have achieved it without compromise of thoroughness or eloquence.
Finally, the contributors and I would like to pay tribute to the myriad of Irish organizations, communities and individuals who strived through the generations, with great pride, to preserve their Irish heritage and to pass on their stories from one generation to the next. Often they persevered in the face of hostile attitudes to the Irish in general and to Irish Catholics in particular. That time has well passed as Canada fully embraced its rich diversity decades ago. Within that diversity, the Irish community continues with renewed pride to record and promote their heritage. We dedicate this volume to them.
Eamonn McKee
Ambassador of Ireland
Ottawa