Montreal St. Patrick’s Parade

By Lauren Tracey

On March 19th 2023, the Montreal St. Patrick’s Parade will go down St Catherine Street for the 198th time. This makes it the largest and longest running Saint Patrick’s parade in Canada, bringing upwards of 200,000 people to the streets of Montreal every year.

St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Montreal as far back as 1759, by Irish soldiers in the Montreal Garrison during the British conquest of New France. Due to the Great Irish Famine (18451849), 40% of Quebecers can trace their Heritage back to Irish roots. In 1847 alone, almost 100 000 Irish arrived at Grosse Isle, an island which housed the immigration reception station. The island’s facilities were only equipped for fewer than one hundred patients and consequently, in addition to the many lives lost during travel, thousands died in quarantine on the island. Most survivors were sent from Grosse-Ile to Montreal. Orphaned children were adopted into Quebec families and became Québécois, both linguistically and culturally. Some of these children fought for their right to keep their Irish surnames, and were largely successful. In 1909, a Celtic cross was erected on Grosse-Ile to commemorate the tragedy. Today, the island remains a National Historic site.

In the 1840s and 1850s, Irish immigrants laboured on the Victoria Bridge, living in a tent city at the foot of the bridge (see Goose Village, Montreal). In the late 1850s, workers unearthed a mass grave of 6000 Irish immigrants who died on our shores stricken in transit or upon arrival in 1847-48. Installed in 1859, the Black Rock remains at the bridge entrance to commemorate the tragedy and, as the inscription on the Stone reads “To preserve from desecration the remains of 6000 immigrants who died of ship fever”. The Irish would go on to settle permanently in the close-knit working-class neighbourhoods of PointeSaint-Charles and Griffintown, working in the nearby flour mills, factories, and sugar refineries.

The Montreal St Patrick’s Parade has been held since 1824, and the United Irish Societies of Montreal (UIS) has proudly been its organizers since 1929. The organization serves as a social and cultural hub for members of the Irish community and those interested in Irish culture in Montreal. In addition to the enormous task of organizing the parade, the UIS takes pride in promoting and preserving Irish heritage and culture in the Greater Montreal Area. We organize events and activities throughout the year to celebrate Irish history and traditions, as well as charitable events to give back to the community. Notably, every year, the UIS distributes Christmas Baskets to families in need during the holidays, a tradition that we are very proud of.

The UIS has seen the leadership of many incredible individuals, and in the last 25 years, many women have taken on these roles. In 1991, Mabel Fitzgerald became the first woman elected as President of the United Irish Societies of Montreal, a role she held until 1993. Since then, 7 of the last 15 presidents have been women. In 2008, the UIS elected the first woman as Vice-President Organization (Parade Director), Beverly Murphy. She later went on to be president in 2014-15. Patty McCann followed as the Parade Director from 2012 to 2022.

Every year since 1956 the UIS has selected a Queen and Princesses to represent the Irish Community. Today, this selection is done in the form of a public speaking contest during which the contestants, women between the ages of 1825, give speeches on their ancestry, Irish Heritage, and personal accomplishments. The five women selected subsequently have the opportunity to learn more about their roots, all the while engaging with and representing the Irish community throughout Green Season and beyond.

Currently, the President of the UIS is Kevin Tracey. He is supported by an executive of 7 in addition to several committee chairs, each of whom play integral roles in the success of the organization. As it often is, the UIS is a real family affair. Both of Kevin’s daughters are on the executive: Lauren as VP Advertising & Public Relations, and Leah as Communications Chairperson.