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THE CELTIC CONNECTION • MAY 1994
From the Ravages of to the Green Gatin
A VIEW OF ST. MARTINS CHURCH IN MARTINDALE
This church was established by Irish famine survivors
By FATHER TOM O'MALLEY
St. Michael's College, Dublin
A
IMAGNIFICENT LIMESTONE Celtic cross stands in Pioneer Cemetery, overlooking the rolling countryside of Martindale village, 56 kilometres north of Ottawa in Gatineau County, Quebec. It is inscribed in Irish, English and French with these words:
"May the light of heaven shine on the souls of the Gaels who left Ireland in the years of the Great Famine to find eternal rest in this soil They will be remembered as long as love and music last."
The inscription memorializes the Irish who came to Martindale in the 1847-50 famine era, surviving the rigours of their ocean voyage, sickness and the many burdens and difficulties associated with establishing a new life in a strange country.
At Pioneer Cemetery,(so named as it was the first burying ground for that area) a triple cenotaph on which 72 names and dates of death of the original immigrants are fully recorded, now stands to their memory.
On September 18, 1982,1 blessed that Celtic cross and this came about as follows. The organizer of this event, Catholine Egan, phoned her friend John Fitzgerald in New York asking him to find an Irish speaking priest for the blessing, as this would be appropriate for the pioneers who spoke Irish.
John contacted Father Sean Hourigan, a Holy Ghost priest of my ordination year, who informed him that I was a fluent Irish speaker already in Canada. In 1981,1 had arrived in Canada and was now associated pastor in the parish of Guelph, Ontario. Needless to say, I was contacted immediately.
I agreed to go and this was followed by a frantic search for the mass text. It arrived from New York two hours before I flew out from Toronto en route to Ottawa.
In Ottawa, I was met by Catholine. She is of Castlebar lineage and her ancestors, the Gannons, had settled in the Gatineau valley. She is a vibrant woman, a student of Gaelic language and culture at Ottawa University and the chief promoter and fund canvasser for the erection of the memorial cross.
She was delighted to learn I was from the West of Ireland and of the name O'Malley because the land for Pioneer Cemetery was given by the O'Malley family. Most of the pioneers came from the west, especially from County Mayo and County Galway.
Soon we got underway, speeding north for 50 miles through the beautiful Gatineau hills, tinted golden by the onset of the fall. Darkness came down but sufficient light lingered to see the mountains loom up on every side of our ribbon-like twisting road. Up hill and down dale we plunged, coasting along the Gatineau river, slate silver in the gathering dusk.
Along this river came the pioneers of old, from distant Que-
A TRIPLE CENOTAPH STANDS IN HONOUR OF THE FAMINE SURVIVORS
72 names and dates of death of the original immigrants are recorded on these stones
WHILE Catholine speaks to the TV cameras in the background, Martin pauses to have his photo taken
bee City over 450 miles away, bottle. It had the makings of a
portaging their canoes over wild long night! Conversation rolled
stretches of country. They had on through the night, anecdotal
availed themselves of govern- humorous, new Ireland was
ment grants to reclaim land meeting old Ireland, hands across
through clearance and drainage the sea.
?rlmanlfHri?S- ^°npprf tft The next day was a beautiful day
Gattoeau valley ^ in this beautiful setting. I was i^
' a green oasts valley, surrounded
Our first stop was at the home of on all sides by tree lined moun-
Gladys Gannon, Catholine's tains. Martin explained that we
mother, a gentle, refined woman, were on the edge of the great
fussing in Irish fashion over her Canadian wilderness that
daughter as if she was still a teen- stretches north to the Arctic
ager. She is a sturdy woman, of circle.
SacS/^rmVa8 "fll^H \ I asked him, "how do we get out
I of here?" for I could see no obvi-
repository of wisdom born of ex-
ous exit. My question brought
penence. -s of lausfaer from him. I had
Her log house, was snug and hit the nail on the head — the unpretentious. She sat me in an wilderness is beautiful but it can unusual rocking chair — all be a claustrophobic prison, wooden moving parts with an adjustable foot stool. Promptly, she thrust a drop
At noon, it was time to be on our
"craythur" into my hand, no protestations accepted. I was home!
nf the wav t0 Martindale for the memo-' rial mass in the little church of
St. Martin. In the first years of the pioneers, residents of It was late when Catholine and I Martindale had to walk 12 miles
set off in the darkness to meet my host for the night, Martin
to Farrelltown for mass.
Pa'trick Brown, who "has roots in ^ "^n£ & __'-. w____ ered to near mass said in Irish,
Ballina, County Mayo.
the language of their forefathers.
We sped off over dirt brown Only a few could understand, roads not sign posted until at Present was Professor McLelland last, we turned into a long unlit of Celtic Studies at Ottawa Urn-winding lane which led us to a versity, a Scot formerly of Dublin, large, white log house, Martin's .. . , ., ancient family Some. Afewyards My co-celebrant of the mass was
away was a modern smalfbun- an°^L1^61 a?d galow Here I was to stay. First £f"srh st>*athe.r Leo Le to greet us was the friendly collie * ma*s' a happy-go-
dog Monday, lucky jumble of people pro-
° 3 ceeded in glorious sunshine to
Next appeared my host Martin, the nearby cemetery for the bless-tall, lean, with a thousand wel- ing of the Celtic cross, comes sparkling from his eyes. TU , '' His youthfulnels belied his 72 The professor opened the'pro-years. His handshake was firm, feedings with a brief history of sincere. I felt at home. I was *he e*TV pioneers. He was fol-made at home. His house bore lowed by the designer of the the marks of contented bachelor- cross' Eth"a 0 Kane from Belfast, hood. Out came the welcoming *[ho explained the symbols on
° the cross.