Waterford Joins international celebrations for Canada Day
Waterford City is going red to celebrate Canada Day, and its unique historical connection with Newfoundland.
Between 1790 and 1830, 35,000 Irish people entered the former colony, with Waterford the primary port of embarkation. Three centuries of shared history with St. John’s means you can travel over 3,500km from Waterford, arrive in St. John’s and still hear familiar accents and colloquialisms from the locals there.
For Canada Day, on Monday July 1st, iconic landmarks and monuments across the island of Ireland are illuminating red in recognition of the shared history, heritage and cultural connections between Ireland and Canada.
Jocelyn Black, Senior Publicity & Communications Executive with Tourism Ireland said: “We are delighted that Waterford is joining in Canada Day celebrations to showcase their deep connections with Canada and to symbolize the friendship between the island of Ireland and Canada. Ireland is renowned for its warm hospitality, and what better occasion to emphasize the bonds between our nations than by celebrating our people, unity, and shared humanity – along with commemorating the historical connections that unite us.”
Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr. Jason Murphy, said he was “thrilled that Waterford is joining in this celebration which highlights the very real connections between Ireland and Canada and in particular the shared history of Waterford and Newfoundland. Watch out for the many iconic buildings, including Reginald’s Tower, Bishop’s Palace, William Vincent Wallace Plaza and City Hall, which will all be lit-up in red for Canada Day. We wish the people of Canada the very best on their National Holiday and invite them to come and explore Waterford City and County and the strong connections between our two countries.”
Waterford City was twinned with St John’s in Newfoundland in 2003 to recognise and celebrate the historical connections between the two cities. Mass emigration from the South East to Newfoundland from the mid-18th century onwards created strong historical links and many people in St. John’s will know their ancestors boarded ships to Canada on what is now called Canada St. or that their home was called St. John’s after St. John’s Parish in Waterford City. Couples from St. John’s in Newfoundland still return to St. John’s church in Waterford City to get married in the place their ancestors would have know.
In Newfoundland, the 1st July is also a day of remembrance for the hundreds of soldiers from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who died on this day in 1916 in Beaumont-Hamel, at the Battle of the Somme, in France during the First World War. It was a very poignant day for the island of Newfoundland, and was firmly marked in Newfoundlanders’ calendars before they became part of Canada in 1949.
Waterford is honoured to participate in Canada Day celebrations, in partnership with Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, to highlight our strong links with Canada and demonstrate a symbol of friendship between the island of Ireland and Canada.
You can keep in touch with events on social media by following the hashtag #IrelandCanadaConnections, @DiscoverIrelandCA on Facebook, @GoToIrelandCA on X and @TourismIreland on Instagram!
You can keep in touch with events on social media by following the hashtag #IrelandCanadaConnections, @DiscoverIrelandCA on Facebook, @GoToIrelandCA on X and @TourismIreland on Instagram!
ENDS
Photos: Patrick Browne
