Irish Canadian
COMMUNITY
Past and present
Intro
● The Irish Community has been around in Canada for
many years. They live all across Canada and they
have embraced our culture. This presentation is all
about the Irish community, past, turning point and
present. Enjoy! ☺
Past/Irish Traditions and
Superstitions
● The Irish had many traditions and superstitions. Many of them we still know
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about today. Such as the popular, if you break a mirror you’ll have 7 years of
bad luck.
During Irish Christmas, then when it snowed the children were told that
geese were being plucked from heaven.
At Christmas time men were in charge of cleaning everything outside of the
house, and women were in charge of cleaning everything inside the house
until it was spotless. Many thing were replaced for brand new items
(furniture, pots and pans etc.). Children were in charge of bringing in all the
decorations.
Holly was used for protecting homes from evil spirits.
They hung mistletoe as a symbol of peace, it could be found hanging above
doorways or from a room.
Another tradition was the placing of the candle next to the window. the
candle was to be lit by the youngest member of the family and extinguished
by someone named Mary. If you did not have a candle you had the same
guilt as the innkeeper from Bethlehem when he said “No room.”
IRISH TRADITIONS AND
SUPERSTITIONS (CONTINUED)
● Holly was used for protecting homes from evil spirits.
● They hung mistletoe as a symbol of peace, it could
be found hanging above doorways or from a room.
● Another tradition was the placing of the candle next
to the window. the candle was to be lit by the
youngest member of the family and extinguished by
someone named Mary. If you did not have a candle
you had the same guilt as the innkeeper from
Bethlehem when he said “No room.”
Past/IRISH CELEBRATIONS
● Saint Patrick’s day is religious celebration. It is
celebrated on March 17th the death date of the very
famous Saint. Saint Patrick.
● Northern celebrates The Twelfth of July in honor of
William III victory at the Battle of Boyne.
● A very famous holiday is Halloween. Even the
tradition of carving a pumpkin dated back to the 18th
century.
BIG TURNING
POINT/PROTESTANTS AND
CATHOLICS
● Before the turning point, there was a prohibition that prevented
anyone who supported the Catholic Stuart King, James II. He tried to
take the place of Protestant, (someone part of a Christian
community) William of Orange. He then lost in the Battle of Boyne.
● All rights were taken for Irish Catholics. They were no longer aloud to
go to school, buy land, vote, serve as an officer in the British Army or
Navy.
● Many unemployed Irish Catholics emigrated and left for North
America.
Big Turning Point/The Great
Famine
● The Great Famine was a period of time of great disease, starvation and
immigration.
● The cause of the famine was a potato disease, Potato Blight. Potato Blight is
a disease that is spreads through the foliage of potatoes and tomatoes in
wet weather. It causes the tomatoes and potatoes to decay and rot, which
makes the potato inedible. The problem here was that 1/3 of Ireland
depended on potatoes for food and money.
● When all the crops failed the Government had to act, but instead of helping
people with food the Government introduced new taxes. Landowners would
have to pay to raise money for “public works relief”. During this relief plan,
Ireland was divided into 130 areas called unions. Each union had its own
workhouse. That way it created work and it provided for building
workhouses.
Example of
potato blight.
The Great Famine (CONTINUED)
● When you arrive at a workhouse the head of the family was harshly
questioned to make you prove you had no other way of living. Once
this was admitted, families were split up. Men, woman, boys and girls
lived in different areas. Their old clothes were taken away and they
were provided a new set of work clothes. Men broke stones, women
knit, children went school and older children received industrial
training, Residents of the workhouse were forbidden to leave. There
were no family reunions other than church. Many Irish tried to stay
away from workhouses. They knew that once they entered they
would lose all freedom.
Left, an Irish
workhouse.
Right an Irish
workhouse
family.
Big Turning Point/Irish Immigrating
to Canada
● More than 100,000 Irish sailed to Canada in
1847. Many also came to North America to
escape The Great Famine. Some stayed in
Canada and later on went to America. Those
who stayed in Canada supplied cheap labour
that helped Canada’s economy through the
1850’s to the 1860’s
● At first, when the Irish came to Canada there
were laws that said that Irish Catholics could not
purchase or lease land, vote, get education, from
entering a profession and being part of anything
political.
Present
● The Irish Community has kept many parts of its culture.
Two main parts include music and dance.
● The Irish play the harp, the fiddle, the mandolin and the
tin whistle.
● A very important symbol for the Irish-Catholic community
is the Celtic cross. It decorates everything from jewelry to
tombstones.
The Celtic cross.
A Celtic
harp.
Present(continued)
● Irish-Canadians all know how to speak English and/or
French now. Few of them know how to speak Irish. The
language is a popular choice! It is being taught in
universities all across Canada.
● The Irish make many crafts. They make stained glass,
jewellery, pottery, musical instruments, leatherwork and
they knit.
Left, stained
glass.
Right, Irish
pottery
FUN FACTS
● The Orange Order was a society of Protestants (a
member of any Western Christian churches) it was
created in 1795 because to remember the victory of
“William of Orange” at the “Battle of Boyne” in 1690.
● The Irish immigrated on “coffin ships”. “Coffin ships”
were unclean and often overcrowded.
● You would get ”Ship fever” when on sailing. It was first a
headache, then a swelling pain that made you feel like
your head was going to burst. Next pain in the bones
followed by swelling of limbs. Sometimes the patient
would be covered in yellow watery pimples or covered in
red and purple spots which turned to nasty sores.
Conclusion
● That is all I have. I hope you learned more about the
Irish-Canadian community past, turning point
present. I found this topic really interesting especially
the Great Famine. I never knew the Irish had so
much to its past! Thank you!
~Jenny