The History of the Irish in Sudbury

The Irish were the major ethnic labour force during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Sudbury district in 1883. The Irish had many firsts in Sudbury: ‘Lake Ramsey’ was named in honour of an Irishman, the first merchant, the first reeve of McKim Township, the first Anglican Church Service in Sudbury was performed by a person from Sligo Ireland.

In 1901, Sudbury's total population was 6,226 and out of that 1,286 were Irish. What the Irish brought with them was an excellent work ethic, a love of their culture and their traditional values, not the least of which was music, dance, song, and stories which the handed down through the years to the present generation.

In 1959 the “Shamrock Club” was formed by a very proud group of Irish immigrants to maintain the rich Irish culture of dance, song, and storytelling. The eighties saw the transition from the “Shamrock Club” to what we have today “The Irish Heritage Club of Sudbury” all the time promoting our culture.