Last modified: 2015-06-30 by rob raeside
Keywords: canada | fenian movment | irish harp | shamrock |
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Many Irish immigrants to the United States in the 1840's and 50's carried
intense patriotic feeling for their home country, which found expression
in the Fenian movement. As a result of military experience gained in the
US Civil War, one faction of the Fenian movement proposed to invade British
North America (Canada) from the US in order to gain leverage to persuade
the British to leave Ireland. Fenian raids into Canada were one factor in
the confederation of British colonies into the Dominion of Canada. A lithograph
printed in Buffalo, New York, 1869 (in the Public Archives of Canada), entitled
"Desperate Charge of the Fenians under Col. O'Neil, New Ridgeway Station,
June 2, 1866, and total route (sic) of the British Troops" shows the Fenian
flag: Green with a gold Irish harp centered: two gold three-branched
sprigs of shamrock are arranged on either side, and the initials I R A in
gold capital letters are placed above the harp.
Peter Cawley - 30 May 1995
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