February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Yet when he arrived in Canada, he found a shared cause in his adopted country. Sixty years earlier, New France – which included the province of modern-day Quebec – had become an English territory after the Seven Years’ War (commonly known in the U.S. as the French and Indian War). O’Callaghan quickly aligned himself with the Patriotes, a political movement in the French province of Quebec that was inspired by the revolution that had taken place in the Thirteen Colonies to the south.
Quickly known for his fiery speeches, O’Callaghan, who was multilingual after studying in France, soon was the right-hand man of the movement’s leader, Louis-Joseph Papineau. He worked as a journalist and reiterated Daniel O’Connell’s famous motto – “Agitate! Agitate!! Agitate!!!” – in his publication.
The Patriotes eventually attempted two rebellions against the British, and while they were unsuccessful, were helped along with efforts of people like O’Callaghan, who eventually crossed the border into New York after an arrest warrant was issued for him.
O’Callaghan’s story may not be common of Irish immigrants to Quebec, but it typifies the impact and connection many felt towards the province. That connection has been examined in an exhibit currently on display at McCord Museum of Canadian History. “Being Irish O’Quebec – or Irlandais O’Qu