By the mid to late nineteenth century, the city’s national societies were experimenting with other ways to celebrate their identities, and their saints’ days. The Irish continued to hold their annual mass and parade, but decided to hold a concert instead of a dinner. Concerts were more inclusive. They usually attracted more people, and they always included women, which was an innovation from the male only dinners of the first part of the century.
Montreal Daily Star, 18 March 1876, page 2
St Patrick’s Concert
Great success- speeches, &c.
The annual concert of the above society was held last evening in the City Concert Hall. The attendance was large, and quite a handsome sum must have been realized to aid the noble work of the Society. The hall was tastefully decorated; around the walls were hung the noblest of Irish names, Moore, Meahy, Hugh O’Neil, Flood, Lord E Fitzgerald, Curran, Emmett and others. The chair was occupied by the President of the Society, Mr. B Devlin; amongst those on the platform were His Worship the Mayor, Alds. McGauvran, and McShane, William Clendenning, Esq., President of the Irish Protestant Benevolent Society, and the officers of the various Irish societies.
Mr. B Devlin, MP, who was loudly cheered, thanked those assembled for their presence in such large numbers. He also thanked the representatives of other national societies that were with him on the platform for their cordial acceptance of the invitation. He thanked those who had participated in the procession, not only in the name of the Irishmen of Montreal, but of Ireland herself. The principal object of the Society was to alleviate the wants of their fellow-countrymen, and in this they had been successful. In connection with this, he wished to thank Mr. George Murphy, Chairman of the Charitable Committee, for the very able manner in which he had performed his work. He thought there were enough Irish societies in Montreal at present, and held that those in existence should be strengthened by their members. He wished to see a friendly feeling between Protestant and Catholic in the Dominion (hear, hear) in which a young generation was springing up, and the day that dissention was sowed between the two classes would be a bad one for Canada. The speaker was in favor of the Home Rule for Ireland. In conclusion, he would state that a gentleman who was to speak later on would say all that he had left unsaid.
“Old Ireland, Boys, Hurrah,” was then sung by Mr. James Shea, which exhibited the powers of his really fine bass voice to perfection. “Meeting of the Waters,” by Miss Hall; Recitation of “St Patrick’s Day in America” by Master T Leahy; Song, “Wild Irish Boy,” Mr. E Cummins; Duet “Swallows, Happy Swallows,” Messrs Shea and O’Brien; song, “Barney, Come Home” Miss Kate Harrington. Song, “Take back the Heart,” Mr. Eugene Teeling, were all vociferously applauded and exceedingly well rendered. Mr. Tom Hurst brought the first part of the programme to a close by his singing, in his well known and popular style, of two of his best comic songs.
The President then called upon His Worship the Mary, who declined speaking further than to express his feelings of regret that a bad cold prevented him from inflicting a speech upon them.
Mr. Meany, in the course of a long address, remarked that the splendid and enthusiastic manner in which the day had been observed showed the world that the old spirit was not dead. (Applause). This is the feast of the Apostle of Ireland, and in the pomp and ceremony of the day we mean to do honor to the memory of St Patrick. And all the rejoicing, mind you, is not for one of Ireland’s sons’s nurtured at her own bosom. It is the festival of a stranger who came to redeem her from her terrible bondage and to pour upon the island the holy light of Christianity. It is a national festival, and therefore must not be celebrated in a sectarian spirit. (Hear Hear) Participating in the solemnities of the day all over the world are Irishmen of various religious and political sects; and no word should be spoken or act done that may be calculated to wound their feelings, or to break that bond of sympathy and strength that binds to day all the children of the old land. One common impulse guides our widely scattered race; and in the fullness of our Celtic hearts we give up the day to harmony and kindly thoughts, and tender memories and patriotic aspirations. But in that land, hallowed by the memory of St Patrick, the laws under which the Irish at home live forbid a national demonstration; and so the Irish heart, on its own soil, dares not open to the genial inspiration on St Patrick’s Day. By those rivers where the green shamrocks spring up luxuriantly no green flag waves to day. (Cheers) The cheers for old Ireland which have this day risen from the patriot masses would, if given at the other side of the Atlantic, be a declaration of rebellion; there the national drums are muffled, and the strains of music that speak to our souls, and tell us how our fathers wore the green, and fought and suffered for it, are hushed into silence before the awful majesty of the law. But here, under a constitution whose excellence consists in the liberty it affords to all the nations of the earth, we would, if permitted, blend our shamrock with the orange, lily, and as our gaze reverts to the land from which fate has separated us, we more fully enjoy and appreciate the blessings of the new Dominion on American soil. If we do not celebrate the national festival in triumph, at least we do in untrammeled freedom. In fact, to day, in every part of this great continent where an Irishman is found there is Ireland! We go in spirit [illegible]
Of the old [illegible] which this day’s celebration [illegible] within us. Guided by history we go back through long centuries to the days when Ireland was in the “darkness of the shadow of death.” Four hundred years had passed since the commission sped from the shores of Galilee to “teach all nations.”
Mr. Meany went on to say that the day being a national festival was suggestive of other thoughts besides the memories of religious triumph. Separated by more than three thousand miles from Erin, they turned to her with the fullness of filial affection; they were proud of her for the bravery of her sons and the unsullied purity of her daughters of the story of her woes as well as for the bright traditions of her glory. The scenery lavished upon her by nature; the ruined towers that told of the liberty which once reigned in the hearts of the brave and learned who made the winds echo through the voice of centuries the glories of Ireland; her intellectual character were touch upon, and the assertion that her sons were below the average of intelligence and education derived with warmth. The Irish priest and the Irish schoolmaster were sheltered by the people, who availed themselves of every opportunity for acquiring knowledge (hear, hear and cheers), and this showed a vitality of mind companionless in the history of the Irish soldiers in every clime, Mr. Meany contended that love of their country was no crime, that it inspired daring deeds, put into the mouth of the orator mighty words, and did not detract in the slightest manner from the duty which his hearers owed to the land of their adoption, when they had the essence of a republic without the name, with their government in their own hands; but every Irishman, without distinction of creed, owed a duty to Ireland to add the weight of political influence to the struggle for nationality. Why should not Protestant and Catholic kindle again the spirit of ’32? Why not write the bold “or else” upon our banners and flap them, with their green and gold, in the teeth of all oppressors? To the Irish Protestants of the Dominion- to the Protestants of all denominations at home- he would simply say that the land of Ireland was by conjoint right their common property- to have and to hold, to use and to enjoy; to be owned by men, or lost by cowards, to raise a race of freemen, or nurture a breed of slaves. In concluding his address Mr. Meany said: – And why should you not join us, Protestants of Ireland- here and at home? Is our object not yours, and are not our paths the same? Do you fear for your religion? We are not scoffers; we respect the sincere worship of the Deity, whatever be its form. Do you treasure the traditions of loyalty which an English government always attributes to you when it wants to inflict a fresh blow on your country and yourselves? Look at the past and see how far English parties have sacrificed to gratify your convictions or your prejudices? And so it will ever be until you unite with your brother Irishman in the struggle for our Fatherland as a whole, and not for sectional ‘far ups’ or ‘far downs’. Do this, Protestants of Ireland! Unite with yourselves and with us. Raise high the flag- red, green or blue- but let it be an Irish flag, spread for the cause of Erin, and only to be furled when justice, full, free and unqualified, has struck every chain from the hand and washed every spot of slavery from the brow. We care not for the hue of the banner- the cause will sanctify the color.
The musical portion of the programme was then continued, which consisted of: “Love’s young dream” by Miss Hall; “The Minstrel’s boy” by Mr. RK Ryan; cornet polka, “Queen of Beauty,” by Mr. E McGrath and band; “Molly, my Darling” by Mr. EM Cummins; “Little Shamrock” by Miss Harrington; “Don’t go, Molly Darling,” by Mr. T O’Brien; “Happy be thy dreams,” by Mr. E Teeling; comic song, by Mr. T Hurst’ and “The Erin March,” by the Hibernian Independent Brass Band.
The concert broke up close on midnight, all present having enjoyed themselves to their heart’s content.
