Theme no. 11 of the exhibit "The Irish Presence in Rawdon, Yesterday and Today", held at the Centre d'interprétation multiethnique de Rawdon, Saturdays and Sundays between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. from March 2 to 30, 2025 (except on March 22).
Who was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the “Apostle of Ireland,” although never canonized, he is the primary patron saint of Ireland. Ireland’s national holiday, March 17, commemorates the day of his death. Emerald green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day, his shamrock and the green fields of Ireland.
Gaelic mythology and pagan fables played an important role in the early history of the British Isles and Ireland. The arrival of Christianity in fifth-century Ireland added to existing Gaelic traditions.
Ireland’s Christian heroes, Saint Patrick, Saint Columban and Saint Brigid, were of Gaelic or Roman origin. History would make them Ireland’s national patron saints.
Maewyn Succat, known as Saint Patrick, was born towards the end of the fourth century, possibly in what is now Wales. Legend has it that he was kidnapped and imprisoned in Ireland by pirates. After receiving Christian teachings in Gaul, he escaped and returned to evangelize Ireland. Equipped with a three-leaf clover representing the Holy Trinity, legend also has it that Saint Patrick was able to drive all the snakes out of Ireland.
Saint Patrick died in the province of Ulster, which he had chosen as the centre of the Irish Christian Church. Ireland’s national holiday, March 17, commemorates the day of his death in the fifth century. The colour emerald is associated with Saint Patrick and his shamrock as well as the pastures of the green Erin.
Parade and Grand Marshal
In Rawdon, traditional Saint Patrick’s Day festivities started in 1978, with a parade and various activities paying tribute to the municipality’s Irish roots, when golf course owner Gordon Scott and friends decided to revive the region’s Irish traditions. Until recently, the parade was organized and funded by the citizens.
Proudly led by the Grand Marshal, the parade illustrates the desire of local organizations and volunteers, many wearing green for the occasion, to celebrate the memory of Rawdon’s Irish founders.
On the Saturday evening before or after March 17, an Irish supper is followed by a ceilidh, an evening of Irish song, music and dance.
Since the 19th century, Saint Patrick’s Day parades have been held wherever Irish immigrant communities have made their homes: the United States, Canada, Quebec, England and Australia. Montréal has held its own parade since 1824. Québec City saw the rebirth of the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in 2010, after a long hiatus.
In Rawdon, Saint Patrick’s Day festivities began again in 1978, with a parade and various activities in tribute to the municipality’s Irish roots. Golf course owner Gordon Scott and friends of both Irish and non-Irish origin decided to revive the region’s Irish traditions.
On the Saturday evening before or after March 17, an Irish dinner is offered, followed by a ceilidh, an evening of Irish music and dance featuring local artists, including Johnny Sheehan, who once performed the Irish classic “Danny Boy.”
Since 1978, Irish descendants and all Irish people “at heart” have invaded the sidewalks of Queen Street in Rawdon. The parade also provides an opportunity for some groups, including the Rawdon Pipes and Drums, to play typical Irish tunes during the parade.
Proudly led by the “Grand Marshal,” the parade illustrates the determination of local organizations and volunteers, who wear the colour green for the occasion, to perpetuate Rawdon’s Irish foundations. The Grand Marshal is a Rawdon dignitary appointed once a year. A living symbol of Irish heritage, his appointment adds a ceremonial, dignified and formal touch to the annual parade.