top of page
Martindale Pioneer Cemetery, Quebec
Honouring Our Ancestors Who Contributed to the History of the Irish in Canada
GALLERY
FRONT view of the triple cenotaph with the listing of names of the original settlers interred at Martindale Pioneer Cemetery.
REAR view of the triple cenotaph with the listing of names of the original settlers buried at Martindale Pioneer Cemetery.
MAURA De Freitas with her mother Catholine Butler [Elaine Gannon) at the September 19, 2016 ceremony.
FR. Larry McCormick blessed the Celtic Cross in 2016.
PETER Mulrooney and Catholine Butler [Elaine Gannon] celebrated their ancestors with a drink of whiskey following the ceremony on September 19, 2016.
THE FRENCH Fleur-du-lys, and both the Canadian and the Irish flag fluttered in the background when Father McCormick blessed those in attendance in 2016.
HOWARD Hayes and the Country Drifters provided music at the ceremony on September 19, 2016. Remarkably, Howard was also the musician on site at the 1982 unveiling of the Celtic Cross.
LISA Kelly from Venosta helped with local organization of the 2016 event. She is pictured above with Catholine Butler.
A CAKE marked the occasion on September 19, 1982, when the Celtic Cross was unveiled at the Martindale Pioneer Cemetery.
ST. PATRICK and the shamrock, two traditional symbols of Ireland greeted guests a the ceremony on September 19, 2016 to unveil the two plaques in both French and English outlining those responsible for establishing the monument at Martindale.
THE WORDS in Irish on the monument were provided by Gordon W. MacLennon, a visiting professor of Celtic Studies at Ottawa University. The English translation reads: May the light of heaven shine on the souls of the Gaels in the years of the Great Famine to find eternal rest in this soil. They will be remembers as long as love and music lasts.
THE above painting by Jose De Freitas is based on a photograph taken in the mid-1980s. It shows the location of Martindale Pioneer Cemetery in relation to St. Martin's church.
THE church at St. Martin's Parish in Low, Quebec was established in 1892. In the foreground is the new cemetery at Martindale. This has been the focal point of the community for generations.
TWO in 1982 servers bringing up the offerings to the altar. The mass was celebrated by Father O'Malley from Co. Mayo from where many of the early settlers left in the mid-1800s during the period of Ireland's Famine.
FATHER Larry McCormick from St. Patrick's Basilica in Ottawa, Ontario was the celebrant at the mass on Saturday, September 19, 2016. He spoke about the hardships faced by those early settlers many of who survived the Famine at home in Ireland to find a new home in the green hills of the Gatineau Valley.
Thank You
CATHOLINE BUTLER [ELAINE GANNON] is pictured above with her sisters Linda McKale and Myrna Daly and their families at the Brennan's Hill Inn following the ceremony at Martindale Pioneer Cemetery in 2016.
Acknowledgements
THANK YOU to everyone who supported the Martindale Pioneer Cemetery over the years. In particular, special thanks to the following who sponsored and assisted with the ceremony on Saturday, September 19, 2016: Larry Bradley, owner of the Heart & Crown in Ottawa, Ontario, who sponsored the buffet at the post-ceremony event at the Brennan's Hill Inn; Pat Kelly of Bradley Kelly Construction Ottawa, who sponsored the music entertainment at the Brennan's Hill Inn; Pat McCay owner of ProCoat Coatings in Calgary, Alberta, who sponsored the metal stands to hold the two plaques which were installed on the occasion; Mary Comerton a fluent Irish speaker, who sang the Irish national anthem in her native language; Billy and Tara Monette for their hospitality at the Brennan's Hill Inn following the ceremony; Peter Mulrooney for his invaluable help setting up a tent covering on site and assisting in so many other ways on the day; Lisa Kelly for all her assistance helping to co-ordinate prior to the event and for her beautiful display at the reception table on site; Janet Egan who sang at the mass and the Janet Egan Step Dancing School who performed at the post-event reception in Brennan's Hill; and finally last but not least, Liette and Merrill Hickey for all their help both in advance and following the event. Céad míle go raibh maith agat.
bottom of page