Express_2011_03_18

Are you feeling a little green around the

counted 3,823,000 respondents quoting

gills?

Irish ethnicity.

It is the day after St. Patrick’s Day, so

That comes as quite a surprise. It seems

many of you must be recovering from a

that the Irish, or at least their descendants,

hangover.

live among us. They are a distinct

After all, booze is a big part of celebrating

minority in these parts. And once a year,

the saint who, legend has it, drove all the

they come out and wear their hearts on

snakes out of the Emerald Isle. And, of

their sleeves.

course, you no doubt chowed down on

So, whether you celebrated in your

potatoes and cabbage.

The Irish spirits

kitchen, in a bar, or in a street, here’s

If you partied in the proper fashion, you

hoping you had a good St. Patrick’s Day.

should have also given yourself a good

Here’s hoping that the road always rises

St. Paddy’s procession last year. A Hill parade

overall physical and emotional workout,

first big wave came following the War of

up to meet you, the rain falls softly on

may be the start of a grand tradition.

because, apart from drinking, the Irish love

1812. In fact, from 1825 to 1845, more than

your fields, and you be half an hour in

Now, a true Irishman knows that any day

to laugh, cry, dance, sing, brawl and

half of all immigrants to Canada were Irish.

Heaven before the Devil knows you’re

is a good day to enjoy a pint, green or

reminisce, all at the same time.

In 1831 alone, no less than 34,000 landed in

dead.

otherwise.

Well, that is the theory, anyway.

Montréal.

However, a collective recognition of an

Stereotypes often define a culture but

Canada was a popular destination for the

important element of our special cultural

clichés rarely accurately reflect a people.

Irish Catholics because it was cheaper to sail

mix is heartening and uplifting, because it is

But then, that is also just another theory,

here than to the United States or Australia.

a special shared experience.

isn’t it?

The distance was shorter and passage was

On another level, St. Patrick’s Day is a

For instance, green beer is a North

cheaper because the desperate refugees

great excuse to let down the hair, blow off

American thing – you will rarely find that

could be loaded into empty timber ships

some steam and rediscover the therapeutic

coloured brew in the Old Sod. Like many

that were bringing valuable material from

benefits of engaging in some good, old-

other customs, St. Patrick’s Day rites have

Canada to England’s shipyards. Many of

fashioned drinking songs.

evolved over the years.

the people who landed in the Hawkesbury

Before anyone gets upset, this is no way

However, some of the clichés are not far

region were part of this migration. They

meant to encourage alcohol consumption or

from the truth. For example, some of us

want to work in sawmills to hew the wood

exuberance. Celebrants must always

remember the days when children were fed

that would be used in Britain’s fleet that was

remember that they must act responsibly

the lore and music of Ireland, along with

engaged in battle against Napoléon.

and obey all laws at all times. Fun is fun —

potatoes, fish on Friday and a mistrust of all

About 1.2 million Irish immigrants

until someone starts seeing leprechauns, and

non-Catholics. A St. Patrick’s Day concert

arrived between 1825 and 1970, at least half

starts following them along the rocky road to

was a huge, almost sacred, event at the

of those in the period from 1831-1850. By

Dublin, to find the pot of gold at the end of

Roman Catholic school where all the little

1867, they were the second largest ethnic

the rainbow.

cherubs knew they were going straight to

group (after the French), and comprised 24

The pursuit of riches and/or freedom is

Heaven because they feared the nuns, the

per cent of Canada’s population.

older than the Blarney Stone. The green

parish priest, the Pope and the Lord, in that

By 1931 there were 1,230,000 Canadians

movement has ebbed and flowed over the

order, and could recite every single word

of Irish descent, half of whom lived in

centuries.

from the hymn All Praise to Saint Patrick.

Ontario.

Ireland has given the world James Joyce,

Speaking of big events worthy of praise,

And they are not going away.

Oscar Wilde, Sinéad O’Connor, Van

we ought to give a tip of the shillelagh to

In fact, the 2006 census showed that the

Photo Richard Mahoney

Morrison, U2, Hothouse Flowers, River

Phil Arber, a major mover behind Vankleek

Irish were the fourth largest ethnic group

The organizer of the first St. Patrick's Day

Dance, The Commitments, Bob Geldoff, and

Hill activities, who this year decided to

with 4,354,000 Canadians, or 14 per cent of

parade in Vankleek Hill Sunday, Phil

a multitude of fabulous, lesser-known people.

organize the region’s first St. Patrick’s

the total population, claiming to have full or

Arber, got a resounding "Yes!" when he

History books tell us that Irish roots in

parade May 13. Arber, who like everyone

partial Irish descent.

asked the crowd if the event should

Canada go back to 1536, when fishermen

else must have some Irish roots, got the idea

This figure represented a huge increase

become a tradition.

from Cork travelled to Newfoundland. The

for a Hill bash after he took part in Hudson’s

of 531,495 since the 2001 census, which

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