You will find below the text of an article recently published by iPolitics, widely read in Parliament, with thanks to editor Heather Bakken at iPolitics for the opportunity. The formation of Canada’s constitution and politics was determined by three sources of influence; Britain (as sovereign), Ireland (as an example of misrule to be shunned or occasionally followed in the case of the RIC as a model for the RCMP, for example), and the United States whose civil war horrified Canadians. Irish emigrants to Canada made an enormous contribution here including in state building, largely unacknowledged (we have plans to change that.) Those familiar with Irish history and Irish historiography will note the emphasis I put on 1800 and the abolition of our parliamentary democracy. For many historians, the narrative divide is the Great Famine but in recent years I have come to the conclusion that in fact the greatest damage was done by the 1800 abolition by London of what is fondly known as Grattan’s Parliament. That triggered a decline enabling the Great Famine but its disastrous effects were many and long lasting. The impact of that most destructive act, I would argue, can still be felt today in Ireland. (I have wondered lately whether the loss of the parliament and the decline that set in encourage Protestant emigration since two-thirds who came to Canada between 1800 and the Great Famine were Protestant?) I posit Canada as a counter-narrative or what-might-have been in Ireland had our parliament endured. True it was an all-Protestant parliament but by the 1830s or the 1840s it would certainly have had to admit Catholics given political demands in Ireland and the pace of franchise reform in England. I allude to the fresh usefulness of Canada as we in Ireland envisage our future as a shared island. Exploring these rich dimensions to our bilateral relations has been an exciting adventure since my arrival here.
Ireland and Canada: Our complex past points to a bright future
All diplomats work within a bilateral environment defined by politics. Those political narratives tend to have a long narrative arc. What’s fascinating about the Irish-Canadian relationship is that we’re living through a shift in that narrative. That shift points to a bright future.
Since it’s my job to promote good relations, your response might be, “Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he.” I have a strong case, however, and can point to three specific events that shifted our narrative, namely 1867, 1916, and 2011.
Read my full opinion piece here.
eamonncmckee 