The Irish were the major ethnic labour force during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Sudbury district in 1883. The Irish had many firsts in Sudbury “Lake Ramsey was named in honour of an Irishman, the first merchant, the first reeve of McKim Township, the first Anglican Church Service in Sudbury was performed by a person from Sligo Ireland.

In 1901 Sudbury ’s total population 6,226 out of that 1,286 were Irish.

What the Irish brought with them was an excellent work ethic, a love of their culture and their traditional values, not the least of which was music, dance, song, and stories which the handed down through the years to the present generation.

In 1959 the “Shamrock Club” was formed by a very proud group of Irish immigrants to maintain the rich Irish culture of dance, song, and storytelling. The eighties saw the transition from the “Shamrock Club” to what we have to day “The Irish Heritage Club of Sudbury” all the time promoting our culture.

Irish Dancing

Step dancing is distinctively Irish, combining artistry, grace, and physical ability. It has followed the Irish wherever they traveled including North America , Australia , New Zealand , Brittany France, Singapore , and Africa.

With the advent of Riverdance and more recently Lord of the Dance came a new wave of popularity for the Irish culture.  People of all nationalities were given the opportunity to relish in the beauty of traditional Irish Dancing.  Included in the show was an assortment of Irish instruments and plenty of home-grown Irish talent.  Irish Dancing, however, started long before Riverdance was introduced to the world.  Originally, Irish Dancing was performed in much less glamorous of settings.   A major influence on Irish dance and Irish culture was the advent of the Dance Masters around 1750, beginning a tradition that you could argue continues today. A dance master typically travelled within a county in Ireland, stopping for about six weeks in a village, staying with a hospitable family. They taught Irish dancing in kitchens, farm outbuildings, crossroads, or schools. Students would first learn the jig and reel, two different types of both Irish Dances as well as traditional Irish music.  Having a well-known dance master associated with your village was a cause for pride and boasting by the community. A commission in Ireland (An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha) provides rules and guidelines for teaching and for competition. Teachers and adjudicators must qualify for their positions and be registered with the commission.

Irish music

Traditional Irish music today is frequently encountered in the "session" a gathering of (usually) amateur musicians where tunes are played in unison by all the musicians who know the tune. Such events usually occur at regularly scheduled times, and usually take place in a establishment where dark foamy beverages are easily procured. The participants are generally not paid, except sometimes with free pints of dark foamy beverages, and for that reason they typically huddle in a dark corner rather than sitting on a stage. It's often assumed that like goings-on date back at least to the times of Brian Boru year 1014.