What a remarkable spring it has been for the Montreal Irish Monument and the Irish community across Quebec. Over the past several months, we’ve seen incredible momentum around the project — from international recognition and research discoveries to meaningful celebrations of Irish heritage across Montreal and beyond.

As we continue working toward the future Montreal Irish Monument site, set to open in 2030, we are deeply grateful for the support of our partners, volunteers, donors, and community members.

What a Green Season It’s Been 🍀

This year’s St. Patrick’s season was especially vibrant and meaningful. The Montreal Irish Monument was proud to participate in celebrations across Quebec, including the Embassy’s St. Patrick’s reception, the Hudson, Montreal, and Quebec City parades, the St. Patrick’s Society Ball and Charity Luncheon, the Irish Person of the Year Breakfast, and our fundraising concert.

Throughout the season, it was inspiring to see the project recognized and supported at so many levels, including during the Embassy launch of the Canada Ireland 180 and when the project mentioned by Ambassador John Concannon and Irish Minister Patrick O’Donovan alongside remarks by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

This is truly an exciting time to be an Irish Quebecer.

Major Government of Quebec Support Announced

The Government of Quebec has committed $600,000 over three years to support the Montreal Irish Monument project — a major milestone recognizing the national and provincial importance of the Black Rock site, Canada’s largest mass grave and a deeply significant part of Quebec’s Irish heritage. This support will help advance education, public engagement, and the future commemorative site. We extend our sincere thanks to the Government of Quebec and all those who helped make this partnership possible.

News Coverage

Hudson St. Patrick’s Parade ☘️

We were proud to take part with a community float made possible through the generosity of many volunteers and supporters. Special thanks to Graeden Staley and GSM Construction, Manning Construction, Grainne and Karen Birdgenaw for their contributions.

Montreal UIS Parade ☘️

Despite blizzard conditions, the Montreal Irish Monument was proud to participate in the Montreal Saint Patrick’s Day Parade — and the city showed up in full force. Snow, wind, and freezing temperatures couldn’t stop the spirit, energy, and community pride.

We were also honoured to have our float receive the Best Amateur Float award at the UIS Parade Gala.

Historic Recognition from the City of Montreal

On March 23, the City of Montreal officially recognized and celebrated the profound contributions of the Irish community to the life and history of our city.

The proclamation acknowledged the arrival of more than 75,000 Irish immigrants during the 19th century, their role in building landmark infrastructure such as the Lachine Canal and Victoria Bridge, and the lasting influence of the Irish community on Montreal’s cultural and social fabric.

Importantly, the declaration also honoured the memory of those commemorated at the Black Rock and recognized the future Montreal Irish Monument site, scheduled to open in 2030.

As we enter a new era of commemoration and public education, we are proud to see this important history recognized at the highest civic level.

Building the Future Monument Site 🏛️

We continue to work closely with Hydro-Québec, the City of Montreal, Lemay, and representatives from the Sud-Ouest borough to refine the future commemorative site.

At the end of 2025, the City of Montreal tabled plans to redirect Bridge Street — a major milestone that will make the Black Rock publicly accessible for the first time in nearly 70 years and preserve the integrity of the historic site.

In response, Lemay has updated the design while maintaining the project’s core vision for remembrance, education, gathering, and reflection.

We thank the City of Montreal and Hydro-Québec for their ongoing commitment to honouring the memory of the thousands buried near the Black Rock and for their collaboration in preserving this sacred place.

International Recognition & Partnerships

Over the spring, we were honoured to welcome Irish Minister Dara Calleary TD and members of the Mayo County Council to the Black Rock.

Also present were Irish Ambassador John Concannon and Mary Concannon, MIM President Fergus Keyes, Vice-President Scott Phelan, Secretary Kelley O’Rourke, City Councillor Sterling Downey, MP James Maloney, and representatives from Mayo County Council including Cathaoirleach Joanne Grehan and Director of Services Seán Carey.

This visit reflects the growing international importance of the Black Rock and the Montreal Irish Monument project.

As Canada’s largest mass grave and the world’s oldest famine memorial, the Black Rock stands as a sacred site of remembrance — one that tells a powerful story of migration, hardship, compassion, and resilience.

We look forward to continuing to build international awareness and developing future cultural, educational, and heritage programming that will help bring this history to life for generations to come.

DNA & Archaeology Research 🧬

This spring, we hosted our MIM DNA & Archaeology Event, where Dr. Marine Puech, Archaeologist for Hydro-Québec, shared important updates on the ongoing osteoarchaeology and ancient DNA analysis connected to the site.

Through this work, 14 individuals — among the thousands buried near the Black Rock in 1847 — are beginning to emerge from anonymity.

Researchers at the Paleo-DNA Laboratory at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario successfully extracted DNA from all of the samples analyzed, with varying levels of information recovered, including mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal DNA, which are helpful in tracing matrilineal and patrilineal family lines. Remarkably, analysis also revealed that two of the individuals sampled were related in some way on their mother’s side.

One particularly moving discovery involved our youngest individual, estimated to have been between 12 and 24 months old. Through DNA analysis, researchers were able to identify the child as a little girl — something impossible to determine through the study of the bones alone.

These discoveries are deeply moving reminders that those buried at the site were real people with lives, families, hardship, and dignity.

The next stages of the research are especially exciting and include building relationships with genealogical databases in Ireland and Canada and pursuing even more complete genome testing. Future analysis could potentially help identify the regions of Ireland these individuals came from — or perhaps even lead to the identification of individual names and living descendants.

The future commemorative site will feature spaces dedicated to sharing these scientific and historical discoveries, ensuring that visitors can engage directly with the human stories connected to this important chapter in Montreal’s history.

We extend our sincere thanks to our partners and funders including the Government of Quebec through the SRQEA, the Government of Ireland, Hydro-Québec, the City of Montreal, QAHN, and the St. Patrick’s Society.

Watch the video recap of the event below!

Goose Village Remembered

In collaboration with the United Irish Societies of Montreal, we were proud to present Goose Village Remembered: History and Archaeology, an evening dedicated to exploring the lives, labour, and displacement of those who once called Goose Village home.

The evening featured presentations by Marisa Portolese, MFA and archaeologist Dr. Martin Perron of Hydro-Québec, alongside newly uncovered artefacts, archival imagery, and reflections on community memory and urban transformation.

These artefacts represent just a small selection of the thousands of objects that will eventually be featured at the future commemorative site. Together, they offer tangible connections to both the fever shed era and the nearly two centuries of immigrant worker occupation in the area before Goose Village was ultimately razed under Mayor Jean Drapeau for the construction of the Autostade.

Importantly, these stories remind us that the history of the Irish in Montreal is about far more than the tragedy of 1847. It is also the story of the thousands who survived, built new lives, integrated into Quebec society, and helped shape the cultural, economic, and social fabric of Montreal and Quebec for generations to come.

Canada–Ireland 180 🍁🍀

This spring, members of the Montreal Irish Monument attended the launch of Canada–Ireland 180 at the Irish Embassy.

The initiative will commemorate 180 years since the Great Famine in 2027 — a defining historical moment that forever linked Ireland and Canada through migration, memory, and humanitarian response.

During the event, the Montreal Irish Monument project was acknowledged in remarks by Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, and Canada’s Minister of Culture, the honourable Marc Miller.

In the lead-up to 2027, the MIM will announce additional programming and activities exploring these historic connections and the unique role Montreal played in this shared story.

GET INVOLVED

Save the Date ⛳

2nd Annual Montreal Irish Monument Golf Tournament

📅 Monday, September 28, 2026
📍 Kanawaki Golf Club

Join us for a wonderful day of community, connection, and support for the future Montreal Irish Monument. Our annual golf tournament is a great opportunity to get involved with the project, meet fellow supporters, and help advance this important initiative in a meaningful and enjoyable way.

Whether as a golfer, sponsor, donor, or guest, we would be delighted to have you take part.

Register now on our newly updated website.

St. Patrick’s Society Charity Luncheon

The Montreal Irish Monument was pleased to attend the St. Patrick’s Society Annual Charity Luncheon, a longstanding tradition celebrating the strength and spirit of Montreal’s Irish community.

The luncheon provided an opportunity to connect with supporters, government representatives, partners, and members of the Irish delegation visiting Montreal during St. Patrick’s season.

We were honoured to welcome supporters including The Honourable Tom Mulcair, MP James Maloney, and John McMahon of the SRQEA, alongside representatives from Hydro-Québec, Lemay, BNP, and many others who continue to support the project.

The event reflected the strong collaboration and shared commitment surrounding the future Montreal Irish Monument.

St. Patrick’s Society Charity Ball  🥂

The Montreal Irish Monument was pleased to attend the St. Patrick’s Society Annual Charity Ball alongside so many Irish organizations and community leaders from across Montreal.

Congratulations to the SPS and all of the sister societies involved for organizing another exceptional evening celebrating Irish culture, community, and tradition while raising funds for many important initiatives throughout the community. We were also delighted to hear from the evening’s excellent guest of honour and captivating speaker, The Honourable Seamus O’Regan. We are deeply grateful that the Montreal Irish Monument continues to be among the projects supported through the Society’s longstanding generosity and leadership.

BENEFIT CONCERT

Reel Shambles & Underground Divas 🎻

On March 7 the Montreal Irish Monument hosted a sold-out fundraising concert at the Mayfair Tavern featuring The Reel Shambles and Underground Divas. The evening was full of music, dancing, and plenty of raucous fun, all in support of the future Montreal Irish Monument site. Thank you to the performers, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone who joined us for such a memorable night and helped make the event such a success.

Join the Movement

If you would like to support the Montreal Irish Monument in creating a commemorative park to honour the 6,000 victims resting beneath the Black Rock, you can make a donation here: