Irish Newfoundlanders - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In modern Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

, many Newfoundlanders are of Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

descent. According to the Statistics Canada 2006 census, 21.5% of Newfoundlanders claim Irish ancestry (other major groups in the province include 43.2% English, 7% Scottish, and 6.1% French). The family names, the features and colouring, the predominant Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

religion in some areas (particularly on the southeast portion of the Avalon Peninsula

Avalon Peninsula

The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...

), the prevalence of Irish music – even the accents of the people in these areas – are so reminiscent of rural Ireland that Irish author Tim Pat Coogan

Tim Pat Coogan

Timothy Patrick Coogan is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He served as editor of the Irish Press newspaper from 1968 to 1987...

has described Newfoundland as "the most Irish place in the world outside of Ireland".

History

The Irish migrations to Newfoundland, and the associated provisions trade, represent the oldest and most enduring connections between Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

and North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. As early as 1536, the ship Mighel (Michael) of Kinsale

Kinsale

Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...

is recorded returning to her home port in County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

with consignments of Newfoundland fish and cod liver oil

Cod liver oil

Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement derived from liver of cod fish. It has high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and very high levels of vitamin A and vitamin D. It is widely taken to ease the symptoms of arthritis and for other health benefits...

. A further hint of what one scholar has termed a diaspora of Irish fishermen dates from 1608, when Patrick Brannock, a Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

mariner, was reported to sail yearly to Newfoundland. Beginning around 1670, and particularly between 1750 and 1830, Newfoundland received large numbers of Irish immigrants.

These migrations were seasonal or temporary. Most Irish migrants were young men working on contract for English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

merchants and planters. It was a substantial migration, peaking in the 1770s and 1780s when more than 100 ships and 5,000 men cleared Irish ports for the fishery. The exodus from Ulster

Ulster

Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...

to the USA excepted, it was the most substantial movement of Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

across the Atlantic in the 18th century. Some went on to other North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n destinations, some stayed, and many engaged in what has been called "to-ing and fro-ing", an annual seasonal migration between Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

and Newfoundland due to fisheries and trade. As a result, the Newfoundland Irish remained in constant contact with news, politics, and cultural movements back in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

.

Virtually from its inception, a small number of young Irish women joined the migration. They tended to stay and marry overwintering Irish male migrants. Seasonal and temporary migrations slowly evolved into emigration and the formation of permanent Irish family settlement in Newfoundland. This pattern intensified with the collapse of the old migratory cod fishery after 1790. An increase in Irish immigration, particularly of women, between 1800–1835, and the related natural population growth, helped transform the social, demographic, and cultural character of Newfoundland.

In 1836, the government in St. John's

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

commissioned a census that exceeded in its detail anything recorded to that time. More than 400 settlements were listed. The Irish, and their offspring, composed half of the total population. Close to three-quarters of them lived in St. John's and its near hinterland, from Renews to Carbonear, an area still known as the Irish Shore. There were more Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

Irish

Irish people

concentrated in this relatively restricted stretch of shore than in any comparable location in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

Location

The vast majority of Irish came from the counties of Wexford

County Wexford

County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

, Carlow

County Carlow

County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Kilkenny

County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...

, Tipperary

County Tipperary

County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...

, Waterford

County Waterford

*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...

, Dingle

Dingle

Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....

, in Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

, and Cork

County Cork

. No other province in Canada or state in the USA drew such an overwhelming proportion of their immigrants from so geographically compact an area in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

over so prolonged a period of time.

Waterford

Waterford

city was the primary port of embarkation. Most migrants came from within a day's journey to the city, or its outport at Passage

Passage East

Passage East is a fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Waterford Harbour. It is 12 km from Waterford 10 km from Dunmore East and 21 km from Tramore.-History:...

, 10 km (6 mi) down river in Waterford Harbour

Waterford Harbour

Waterford Harbour is a natural harbour at the mouth of the Three Sisters; the River Nore, the River Suir and the River Barrow in Ireland. It is navigable for shipping to both Waterford and New Ross. The Port of Waterford is capable of accommodating vessels up to 32,000 tons dwt...

. They were drawn from parishes and towns along the main routes of transport and communication, both river and road, converging on Waterford and Passage. New Ross

New Ross

New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy.-History:...

and Youghal

Youghal

Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...

were secondary centers of transatlantic embarkation. Old river ports such as Carrick on Suir and Clonmel

Clonmel

Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...

on the River Suir

River Suir

The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...

, Inistioge

Inistioge

Inistioge is a small scenic village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated on the River Nore, southeast of Kilkenny. Historically, the name has been spelt as Ennistioge, Ennisteage, and in other ways....

and Thomastown

Thomastown

-Landmarks:Kilfane Glen is a restored historic 1790s garden of romantic era with waterfall, woodland walks and cottage orne. The garden is listed as an Irish Heritage garden and was awarded assistance in 1993 by the European Union Cultural Commission...

on the River Nore

River Nore

The River Nore is a long river located in south-east of Ireland. Along with the River Suir and River Barrow, it is one of the constituent rivers of the group known as the Three Sisters. The river drains approximately of Leinster. The river rises in the Devil's Bit Mountain, North Tipperary...

, and Graiguenamanagh

Graiguenamanagh

-Recreation:Walking and hillclimbing are among the more popular pursuits of Graiguenamanagh area and with the South Leinster Way meandering through the lovely Barrrow Valley and traversing nearby Brandon Hill, scope is provided for the a gentle stroll or a vigorous,day-long hike. The Barrow's...

on the River Barrow

River Barrow

The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...

were important centers of recruitment. So were the rural parishes along these navigable waterways.

Probably the principal motivation for migration was economic distress in the homeland. The population almost doubled between 1785–1835, the main period of emigration. Land scarcity, unemployment, underemployment, and the promise of higher wages attracted young Irishmen to Newfoundland. Irrespective of economic or social origins, almost all Irish moved primarily to better their economic lot.

Religion

Central to their lives and culture to the Irish was their religious faith; institutional religion served as the pivot for a great deal of Irish life in Newfoundland. Several of the leading Irish merchants and propertied men were Protestants and brought the traditions of the Orange Order

Orange Institution

The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...

to their new home. However, the majority of the Irish were Roman Catholics and many sought to recreate in Newfoundland the institutional Roman Catholicism which they had known in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. As a result, the institutional church which emerged over the next 50 years became the single most important ethnic, social and cultural institution for the Irish in Newfoundland, and its various clergy and leaders were the de-facto leaders of the Irish community in Newfoundland.

Rebellion

In 1800, a cell of the Society of the United Irishmen

Society of the United Irishmen

The Society of United Irishmen was founded as a liberal political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought Parliamentary reform. However, it evolved into a revolutionary republican organisation, inspired by the American Revolution and allied with Revolutionary France...

was uncovered in the St. John's Garrison and planned to rebel against the English authority in the United Irish Uprising

United Irish Uprising

In April 1800, rumours flew through St. John's, Newfoundland that up to 400 Irishmen had taken the secret oath of the Society of the United Irishmen. It is believed that some 80 or more Irish soldiers in the British army planned to meet and mutiny at the powder shed behind the British garrison at...

, making Newfoundland one of the few places outside Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

in which the Irish Rebellion of 1798

Irish Rebellion of 1798

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...

had political effects. Even at the time of the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

, political activism rooted in Irish agrarian movements manifested themselves in Newfoundland, in such forms such as the Caravats (who wore French 'cravates' or ties), and the Shanavests (literally, the 'old vests'). Indeed, no other expatriate Irish community outside Ireland can claim such extensive and persistent ethnic, cultural, political, and religious forms as similar to those of Ireland.

Benevolent Irish Society

In the early years of the 19th century, St. John's had a large Irish population with some members of affluence. It was a town with growing influence, and was the cradle of growing cultural and political ferment. Many of these Irish both saw social needs which were not being met by government, and desired to belong to a fraternal, gentlemanly organization. In 1806, under Bishop O'Donel's patronage, they founded the Benevolent Irish Society

Benevolent Irish Society

The Benevolent Irish Society is a philanthropic organization founded on 17 February 1806, a month before the Feast of St. Patrick, in St. John's, Newfoundland. It is the oldest philanthropic organization in North America. Membership is open to adult residents of Newfoundland who are of Irish birth...

(the BIS) as a charitable, non-profit, non-sectarian

Sectarianism

Sectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...

society for Irish-born men under the motto "He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord." In 1823 the BIS collected a subscription and opened a non-sectarian school in St. John's, the Orphan Asylum, for the education of the Irish poor.

Irish fraternities

Outside the Benevolent Irish Society

Benevolent Irish Society

(BIS), there were two fraternal organizations to which Irish Catholics in Newfoundland belonged. The earliest to be established in Newfoundland was the Irish Mechanics' Society, organized in March 1827. The Mechanics' Society was established as a self-help and educational society by four skilled tradesmen, Patrick Kelly, Edmond Power, Louis Martin, and William Walsh. The Society provided a meeting place and educational opportunities for its members, a sickness insurance scheme, and a program of benefits for injured members or the families of deceased members. Many of the early members of the Mechanics' Society were Irish Catholics from St. John's, but intra-Irish county origins, and membership in Irish provincial factions — the Tipperary

Tipperary

Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....

Clear Airs, the Wexford

Wexford

Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

Yellowbellies, the Waterford

Waterford

Wheybellies, the Kilkenny

Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

Doones, and the Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

Dadyeens may also have played a part in determining its membership. Like the Benevolent Irish Society, the rules of the Mechanics' Society prohibited members from formally discussing political or religious questions, but the Society occasionally took a public political stand. In 1829 it participated in a large parade through St. John's to celebrate Roman Catholic Emancipation

Catholic Emancipation

Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...

. Many of its early leaders became prominent in political life.

The Irish temperance movement was founded in Cork

Cork (city)

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

in April 1838 by the Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

priest, Father Theobald Mathew. In 1841 the movement was introduced to St. John's

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

by Father Kyran Walsh. During the 1840s and into the 1860s, the Newfoundland Temperance Society became one of the most popular working class fraternal organizations in St. John's. In the context of Irish culture and politics, the Irish temperance movement in Newfoundland also became a political forum for lobbying for the repeal of the union

Act of Union 1800

The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...

of Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

with Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain

The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...

, particularly during the Repeal Year of 1843. By 1844, over 10,000 members had enrolled and by the late 19th century, the society developed a substantial membership and social presence in St. John's. In the early 20th century, the society became renowned for its literary and musical events, and remained one of the most active and influential fraternal societies in St. John's until the 1990s.

Irish Catholic religious orders

As the permanent population, and the numbers of young people and children in Newfoundland increased during the early 19th century, public interest in access to education also grew. Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming

Michael Anthony Fleming

Michael Anthony Fleming was Catholic bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland. He was principally responsible for changing a small mission with several priests in four parishes into a large diocese with over 40,000 congregants and was the single most influential Irish immigrant to come to Newfoundland...

understood both the parental aspirations for education, and the religious opportunities that it presented. He was determined to provide "cradle-to-grave" cultural institutions for Irish Roman Catholics and in particular, wanted to address the needs and aspirations of working class Catholics. He actively recruited religious orders of women from Ireland to deliver the educational and religious program for the Church.

In March 1833, Bishop Fleming

Michael Anthony Fleming

went to Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, where he sought several sisters of the order of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to come to Newfoundland and open a school for female children. Several years later while the Presentation sisters had a considerable influence on the Irish community in St. John's, Fleming desired to extend Catholic education further. In 1839, he decided to invite a second order of religious Irish women to Newfoundland, the Sisters of Mercy

Sisters of Mercy

The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....

. Together, the work of the Presentation sisters and the Sisters of Mercy became the centrepiece of Catholic education in Newfoundland for the next century and a half, and a cornerstone of the denominational education system. Their skills and talents were recognized by all denominations, and over the next century they and their convents were sought out by parents of all denominations as centres of excellence in the arts, learning, and particularly, music.

In the 1847, Bishop Fleming

Michael Anthony Fleming

recruited four brothers of the order of Irish Christian Brothers

Congregation of Christian Brothers

The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...

, a lay religious order founded in Waterford

Waterford

by the merchant Edmund Rice

Edmund Ignatius Rice

Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice , was a Roman Catholic missionary and educationalist. Edmund was the founder of two orders of religious brothers: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers....

, to come to Newfoundland to teach at the Benevolent Irish Society's school.

Building a cathedral

The rapid growth of the Irish population in St. John's during the early years of the 19th century necessitated several expansions to the Roman Catholic Chapel. By the mid-1830s, the Old Chapel had long outlived its usefulness and Bishop Fleming wished to construct a house of worship capable of holding his congregation. Construction was supervised by Bishop Fleming and later by his successor, Bishop John Mullock. Built between 1839-1855 of stone imported from Ireland, the Basilica of St. John The Baptist

Basilica of St. John the Baptist

The Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland....

still stands. The St. John's Basilica was contemporary with and part of the great boom in church construction which surrounded the age of Catholic Emancipation

Catholic Emancipation

in Ireland and Newfoundland.

Culture

In Newfoundland, the Irish created a distinctive culture through the 18th century that is still evident. Almost all were Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

. To Newfoundland, the Irish gave the still-familiar family names of southeast Ireland: Wade

Wade

- Places :* Wade, California* Wade, Maine* Wade, Mississippi* Wade, North Carolina* Wade Township, Clinton County, Illinois* Wade Township, Jasper County, Illinois* Wade County, Choctaw Nation, former political subdivision-Surname:...

, McCarthy

McCarthy (surname)

The MacCarthy dynasty was one of Ireland's greatest medieval dynasties. It was and continues to be divided into several great branches. The MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow dynasties were the three most important of these, after the central or MacCarthy Mór...

, O'Rourke

O'Rourke

The O'Rourkes were the historic rulers of Breifne.O'Rourke may refer to several different people:-People:* Andrew O'Rourke, judge and politician from New York State* Beto O'Rourke , American entrepreneur and civic leader...

, Walsh

Walsh (surname)

Walsh is an Irish surname, meaning "Breton," or "foreigner," literally "Welshman," taken to Ireland by the Welsh during the Norman Invasion of Ireland. It is most common in County Mayo and County Kilkenny. It is the fourth most common surname in Ireland, and the 325th most common in the United...

, Power, Murphy

Murphy

Murphy is an Anglicized version of two Irish surnames: Ó Murchadha/Ó Murchadh , and Mac Murchaidh/Mac Murchadh derived from the Irish personal name Murchadh, which meant "sea-warrior" or "sea-battler"...

, Ryan

Ryan (surname)

Ryan is a common Irish surname, as well as being a common given name.There are several possible origins for the surname. In certain cases it can be a simplified form of Mulryan...

, Griffin

Griffin (surname)

Griffin was the 75th most common surname on the island of Ireland in 1891. In Wales, Griffin has been established as the 65th most frequent Welsh surname...

, Whelan

Whelan

The family surname Whelan is an anglicisation of the Irish surname, Ó Faoláin. The surname originates from the Middle Irish 'Úa Faeláin' the name of the 10th to 11th century ruling dynasty of the Déisi, a population group inhabiting the area of the modern county of Waterford and south county...

, O'Brien

O'Brien (disambiguation)

O'Brien is a surname of Irish origin. It may also refer to:In people:*O'Brien clan, a royal dynasty who ruled from Thomond*List of people named O'Brien...

, Kelly, Hanlon

Hanlon

Hanlon is a surname often associated with, but not necessarily tied to, the O'Hanlon Sept. The name may denote:* Jim Hanlon American-born lawyer* Alfred Hanlon, British-born acrobat * Alfred Charles Hanlon, New Zealand lawyer...

, Neville

Neville

Neville is a name that originates from place names in Normandy, from the Old French Néville "Néel's estate" or Neuville, meaning "new village" or "new town".Neville may refer to:-Places:*Néville, Haute-Normandie, France...

, Bambrick

Bambrick

Bambrick may refer to:*Gertrude Bambrick , an American actress of the silent era*Joe Bambrick , a former footballer who played for Chelsea, Walsall, Glentoran, and Linfield...

, Halley

Halley

-People:* Antoine Halley , French poet*Edmond Halley , English Astronomer Royal* Robert Halley , English Congregationalist minister and abolitionist* Paul-Louis Halley , French businessman...

, Dillon

Dillon (surname)

Dillon is a family name of Irish origin. It has frequently been used to anglicise Dilleen in Munster and Connacht, while in Leinster it derives from the Norman family name de Leon meaning either "of Lyon" or "of the lion". It is sometimes taken to mean "loyal" or "faithful" by extension from the...

, Byrne

Byrne

Byrne meaning 'raven', is derived from the Irish name Ó Broin, and is the seventh most common surname in Ireland today.-History:...

, Lake

Lake (disambiguation)

Lake, or lakes may refer to:* a lake, an enclosed geographical body of fresh water-People:* Alan Lake, British actor* Alice Lake, American actress* Anthony Lake, former US National Security Advisor...

and FitzGerald

FitzGerald (disambiguation)

-People:* Alexis FitzGerald, Snr , Irish politician* Alexis FitzGerald, Jnr , Irish politician* Barry Fitzgerald , Irish actor...

. Irish place names are less common, many of the island's more prominent landmarks having already been named by early French and English explorers. Nevertheless, Newfoundland's Ballyhack

Ballyhack, Newfoundland and Labrador

Ballyhack may refer to:* Ballyhack, County Wexford* Ballyhack, Newfoundland and Labrador...

, Cappahayden, Kilbride

Kilbride, Newfoundland and Labrador

Kilbride is a neighbourhood in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.Killbride was once a village located southwest of St. John's. The Way Office was established in 1889 and the first Waymaster was Edward Morris. It had Canadian Post status on May 30, 1891. The population was 438 in 1940 and 121 in...

, St. Bride's, Placentia

Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador

Placentia is a town on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of the amalgamated communities of Jerseyside, Townside, Freshwater, Dunville and Argentia...

, Port Kirwan, Duntara and Skibbereen

Skibbereen

Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...

all point to Irish antecedents.

Along with traditional names, the Irish brought their native tongue. Many spoke only Irish

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

on arrival (which gave rise to a dialect of the Irish language known as Newfoundland Irish

Newfoundland Irish

Newfoundland Irish is an extinct dialect of the Irish language specific to the island of Newfoundland, Canada. It was very similar to Munster Irish, as spoken in the southeast of Ireland, due to mass immigration from the counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Cork.-Irish settlement...

), or distinctive varieties of English

Newfoundland English

Newfoundland English is a name for several accents and dialects thereof the English found in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of these differ substantially from the English commonly spoken elsewhere in Canada...

. Newfoundland is one of the few places outside Ireland where the Irish language was spoken by a majority of the population as their primary language. Newfoundland is the only place outside Europe with its own distinctive name in the Irish language, Talamh an Éisc (Land of the Fish). Elements of material culture — agricultural folkways, vernacular and ecclesiastical architecture, for example — endured to this day, and trace elements remain. But the strange new world of a commercial cod fishery and the presence of so many English transformed their lives; their descendants emerged as fully-fledged Newfoundlanders, a unique culture in modern North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

External links

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History

Location

Religion

Rebellion

Benevolent Irish Society

Irish fraternities

Irish Catholic religious orders

Building a cathedral

Culture

See also

External links