The Irish first arrived in Canada nearly 400 years ago, and to this day they have almost been fully integrated into our Canadian society. Years ago, they tended to move to large American cities, however they also moved to Canada and spread into the Canadian countryside. They have made a significant influence on the history of this country and they have very much became a part of the Canadian identity today.
             The Irish first came to Canada due to dire economic conditions in their homelands, and due to the lack of jobs. Some also came because of poverty, and others because the British wanted to get ride of Irish troublemakers who rebelled against the British rule in Ireland. The first Irishman settled in Canada near Newfoundland in 1622. Later that century, the Irish began to settle in Newfoundland in larger numbers. Most of them came on English fishing vessels, however they planned on returning in a few years. Most stayed and established Canada as they new home. By the 1830's, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Upper and Lower Canada contained significant Irish populations. Though the Atlantic Provinces have strong links to Ireland, the strongest Irish-Canadian connections are in Quebec, where 40 per cent of the population are of Irish ancestry. Canada's port of entry was Quebec City and many immigrants settled in the area. They were able to bridge the cultural gaps between the French majority, whose religion they shared, and the English minority, whose language they spoke.
             The Great Famine struck Ireland in the 1840's and this drove approximately two million people out of Ireland, hundreds of thousands of them to British North America. However most of the Irish preferred America, and thousands left by the 1860's. Most of Canada's Irish communities were established before the famine. Unfortunately most of the Irish who came during the famine did not survive because thou
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