Montreal’s Irish community is deep rooted and steeped in tradition & heritage. Each year this heritage is demonstrated in North America’s longest consecutively running St Patrick’s parade. Although the parade is the culmination of nearly two months of celebrations shared with the whole of Montreal the traditions of the Irish community in Montreal run deeper.
Many cultures share some of the same beliefs & values which include community, family, pride in heritage, freedom and equality. Perhaps it’s because so much of our population can trace their heritage back to Ireland the beliefs & values of Canadians and the Irish are very similar. None is truer than the belief that it is one’s responsibility to help those less fortunate than yourself.
Canada and Ireland are regularly in the top ten most generous countries in the world, many times both are in the top five. This index measures how often those surveyed helped a stranger, donated money and volunteered their time. I won’t get into why this is aside from saying perhaps it is because the Irish remember all too fondly the difficult times their ancestors endured. Could these memories have been brought to Canada and passed down? I leave those arguments to scholars and those much more informed than I.
What I can speak of is what I witness in the Montreal Irish community. This community is largely made up of Canadians with Irish heritage but there are many first generation Irish as well. This community is made up of 24 different organizations each with their own niche. Everything from an Irish film festival, to hurling & Irish football, to promotion of Irish heritage and yes of course of parade organization.
With each of these 24 organizations there is one similarity, their volunteerism and dedication to their community. Unfortunately, I can’t mention the great work each of these organizations do but here are some I’d like to highlight with a brief description and history.
The Erin Sports Association is celebrating their 85th anniversary this year. This group first organized by kids in a backyard shed in an Irish part of Montreal so they can take part in different sporting events and leagues has morphed into something so much more in their 85 years. The Erin, as they are affectionately called, now also supports many local kids sporting groups & events in a part of town with families that cannot always afford this luxury that is often taken for granted in other parts of town. They are also the organization that for over 30 year now selects the Irishman of the Year. An award bestowed upon an individual who has spent a lifetime bettering their community through volunteerism and charitable work.
The Erin each year donates turkeys to needy families, holds Christmas parties for kids and a summer Santa party at the Montreal’s Children’s hospital, BBQ’s benefitting a local parish, Christmas dinners for seniors and support local food banks. Their members have raised and donated over $500,000 in the last 30 years.
Because of the great work this organization and its members have done they themselves were awarded the Simon McDonaough Humanitarian Award by the United Irish Societies of Montreal.
The St Patrick’s Society of Montreal is an organization with a history like no other. They are the oldest fraternal organization in Canada. Their mission has always been to promote and foster Irish tradition and to aid whenever possible persons of Irish birth or origin and in particular Irish immigrants.
The St Patrick’s Society was particularly important during the Great Famine helping Irish immigrants settle in Montreal and helped many others continue their journeys to the different corners of North America. Today, they are one of the communities leading contributors with funds raised through their popular annual golf tournament, oyster party, charity ball and luncheon which has taken place every year since 1834! Many years they also hold a very popular Christmas concert helping them with their community contributions.
And finally there is the United Irish Societies of Montreal. The UIS has been in charge of the organization of Montreal’s St Patrick’s parade since 1929. That is their official mandate as per their constitution however they have a long history of grassroots membership driven fundraising for the community.
For 50 years they’ve held a Christmas draw benefiting different groups in Montreal. The proceeds of the very first draw in 1967 went to purchase a specialized wheelchair for the Montreal Children’s hospital. Now, the proceeds are used to buy, assemble & deliver Christmas baskets to those in need at a vulnerable time of year.
For more years then many can remember the UIS had held get togethers, silent auctions and other fundraising initiatives with the goal of securing enough funds to make sizable donations to Montreal’s Children’s & Shriner’s hospitals. This is still done annually.
The UIS supports many organizations in and around Montreal including many homeless shelters, food banks and groups throughout the year.
As mentioned earlier it is impossible to list all the different groups in Montreal and the great work they do. You can visit our website to see a list of some of them
with links to their pages,
www.montrealirishparade.com
Now, with all that said, Christmas is a time of year where many families cannot afford lavish gifts and many more cannot afford the basics to feed their families nevermind the traditional Christmas dinner. I have personally seen this when delivering some of the UIS Christmas food baskets.
Each of the organizations described in this article have recognized this and make sure they do something special for their community at Christmas. I ask that you take the time to join in your local community by getting involved in similar initiatives, donating non-perishables to a local food bank or donate your time and what you can to a local charity.
On behalf of the Montreal Irish community and the United Irish Societies of Montreal we wish you and those special to you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
