Marianna O'Gallagher
Encyclopedia
Marianna O'Gallagher was an Irish Quebecer historian from Quebec City
. A former Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
nun, she wrote extensively on the history of the Irish in Quebec City, was involved in the creation of Grosse Isle
National Historic Site and the revival of the Quebec City Saint Patrick's Day
celebrations.
1929 to Norma O'Neil and Dermot O'Gallagher, both Irish-Canadians; her father was a land surveyor
and previous mayor of the city (now merged into Quebec City
). Her grandfather, Jeremiah O'Gallagher had designed the Celtic cross
erected in 1909 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians
; the twelve-meter monument is the largest Celtic cross in North America.
She originally became a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
in 1952 and taught in Nova Scotia
and New England
, before she settled back in Quebec City, where she taught for 25 years at St. Patrick's High School. Over that time she earned a bachelor's degree
in history from Halifax's Mount Saint Vincent University
, later followed by a Master's from the University of Ottawa
.Although the Globe and Mail states it to be a doctorate, all other sources agree that it was a Master's degree. Her thesis was about Quebec City's St. Patrick's Church
, and her interest in Irish-Quebecer history would continue for her whole life.
In 1973 she was allowed by the federal government (who had owned it since the establishment of the quarantine station) to visit Grosse Isle, Quebec
, which she found in a state of disrepair. This marked the beginning of her efforts to have the site federally recognized. She founded Irish Heritage Quebec the same year, an organization dedicated to the local promotion of Irish-Canadian history.It is not clear which event occurred first or whether one was a cause of the other. She remained president of Irish Heritage Quebec until 2009.
The 1980s marked the beginning of her community work. She founded bilingual publisher Carraig Books in 1981. In 1983 she started a committee for the designation of Grosse Isle; these efforts came to fruition with the 1984 designation of the island as a historic site, a designation augmented in 1988 to that of National Historic Site of Canada. Meanwhile, in 1985, she had left the religious community. She is credited with almost single-handed responsibility in the creation of the National Historic Site. In 1997, she spearheaded a series of event in Quebec City, the Irish Summer .
She spent the rest of her life writing books and articles on Irish-Canadian history, for which she became a major figure in the Canadian Irish studies community. The Canadian Association for Irish Studies had, days before her death, established an annual lecture named after her. She was the recipient of the Canadian Catholic Historical Association's G. E. Clerk Award in 1999, of the Order of Quebec in 1998, and the Order of Canada
in 2002. She has also been repeatedly included in Irish Americas Global 100 lists, and was a member of the organizing committee for Quebec City's 2008 400th anniversary celebrations.
She was hospitalized in April of 2010, upon which it was discovered that she had advanced lung cancer, despite not being a smoker herself. She died the next month, on May 24. A few months earlier, she had been Grand Marshal to Quebec City's first Saint Patrick's Day
s parade in 80 years, and she was at the time amongst the people featured in the exposition Being Irish O'Quebec at Montreal's McCord Museum
.
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. A former Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul were founded on May 11, 1849, when the four founding Sisters of Charity, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia from New York. They came in response to a request by then Halifax Archbishop William Walsh. By 1856 the order, in Halifax, was accepted as a...
nun, she wrote extensively on the history of the Irish in Quebec City, was involved in the creation of Grosse Isle
Grosse Isle, Quebec
Grosse Isle Also known as Grosse Isle and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site, the island was the site of an immigration depot which predominantly housed Irish Immigrants coming to Canada to escape the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1849...
National Historic Site and the revival of the Quebec City Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
celebrations.
Biography
O'Gallagher was born in Sainte-Foy, QuebecSainte-Foy, Quebec
Sainte-Foy is a former city in central Quebec, Canada on the Saint Lawrence River. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. Most of Sainte-Foy is in the Borough of Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge....
1929 to Norma O'Neil and Dermot O'Gallagher, both Irish-Canadians; her father was a land surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and previous mayor of the city (now merged into Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
). Her grandfather, Jeremiah O'Gallagher had designed the Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
erected in 1909 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
; the twelve-meter monument is the largest Celtic cross in North America.
She originally became a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul were founded on May 11, 1849, when the four founding Sisters of Charity, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia from New York. They came in response to a request by then Halifax Archbishop William Walsh. By 1856 the order, in Halifax, was accepted as a...
in 1952 and taught in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, before she settled back in Quebec City, where she taught for 25 years at St. Patrick's High School. Over that time she earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in history from Halifax's Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University
Mount Saint Vincent University is a university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1873 and is locally referred to as The Mount.-History:...
, later followed by a Master's from the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
.Although the Globe and Mail states it to be a doctorate, all other sources agree that it was a Master's degree. Her thesis was about Quebec City's St. Patrick's Church
St. Patrick's Church (Quebec City)
St. Patrick's is the only English-speaking parish in the Archdiocese of Quebec. Founded in 1832, the parish has occupied several different buildings as the population of English-speaking Catholics, primarily Irish, in Quebec City has swelled and shrunk....
, and her interest in Irish-Quebecer history would continue for her whole life.
In 1973 she was allowed by the federal government (who had owned it since the establishment of the quarantine station) to visit Grosse Isle, Quebec
Grosse Isle, Quebec
Grosse Isle Also known as Grosse Isle and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site, the island was the site of an immigration depot which predominantly housed Irish Immigrants coming to Canada to escape the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1849...
, which she found in a state of disrepair. This marked the beginning of her efforts to have the site federally recognized. She founded Irish Heritage Quebec the same year, an organization dedicated to the local promotion of Irish-Canadian history.It is not clear which event occurred first or whether one was a cause of the other. She remained president of Irish Heritage Quebec until 2009.
The 1980s marked the beginning of her community work. She founded bilingual publisher Carraig Books in 1981. In 1983 she started a committee for the designation of Grosse Isle; these efforts came to fruition with the 1984 designation of the island as a historic site, a designation augmented in 1988 to that of National Historic Site of Canada. Meanwhile, in 1985, she had left the religious community. She is credited with almost single-handed responsibility in the creation of the National Historic Site. In 1997, she spearheaded a series of event in Quebec City, the Irish Summer .
She spent the rest of her life writing books and articles on Irish-Canadian history, for which she became a major figure in the Canadian Irish studies community. The Canadian Association for Irish Studies had, days before her death, established an annual lecture named after her. She was the recipient of the Canadian Catholic Historical Association's G. E. Clerk Award in 1999, of the Order of Quebec in 1998, and the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 2002. She has also been repeatedly included in Irish Americas Global 100 lists, and was a member of the organizing committee for Quebec City's 2008 400th anniversary celebrations.
She was hospitalized in April of 2010, upon which it was discovered that she had advanced lung cancer, despite not being a smoker herself. She died the next month, on May 24. A few months earlier, she had been Grand Marshal to Quebec City's first Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
s parade in 80 years, and she was at the time amongst the people featured in the exposition Being Irish O'Quebec at Montreal's McCord Museum
McCord Museum
The McCord Museum is a public research and teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, study, diffusion, and appreciation of Canadian history...
.