The History of The Irish...Worldwide
Irish Influence in Institutions of Higher Learning
I think my alma mater my qualify. It has a great Highland Scot Gael influence but there were many Irish who had a great impact. Irish & Scottish Gaelic are taught there to this day and one may obtain a degree in Celtic Studies at St Francis Xavier University located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Msgr. Moses Coady & Rev Jimmy Tompkins were two powerful leaders in the development of the university. Actually a hero of the Wexford Rebellion of 1798, Moses 'Mogue' Doyle brought the Coady & Tompkins families with him to settle in Nova Scotia.
Some prominent alumni include former New Brunswick Premier & Canadian Ambassador to the US, the Honourable Frank McKenna; The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney served as Prime Minister at the same time as Pres. Ronald Regan.....Mulroney hosted the famous Shamrock Summit in Quebec City with the then President.
The late Charles Keating was a great philanthropist and 'X' grad who was a wealthy & generous eastern Canadian entrepreneur. The Keating Centre at the university is a great testament to this generous Irishman.
The greatest sports broadcaster known to Canadians, Danny Gallivan, the 'voice of the Montreal Canadiens started his career broadcasting X-Men hockey games in the 1940's.
I could go on & on.
Richard
Tags: Antigonish, Canada, Education, Irish Freedom Struggle, Nova Scotia, Quebec City, Sports
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bryan Maloney on
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Notre Dame, Indiana, anyone? The nickname "Fighting Irish" is actually tied to anti-Ku Klux Klan activity on the part of Notre Dame students: http://www.amazon.com/Notre-Dame-Vs-Klan-Fighting/dp/0829417710
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Permalink Reply by James Richard Johnson on
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That's not what I've read. If it did I'm fine with anything to rid the land of the KKK. I read that it had to do with a football game years ago when a large % of the team was of Irish ancestry & one of the players said that they needed to fight like their Irish ancestors....we need an alumnus to step up!!
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Permalink Reply by John W. Hurley on
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Bryan I have heard a couple of explanations about the fighting irish name. But the one that seems to make the most sense is that Father Corby who was the chaplain who gave the famous absolution of Irish Brigade at Gettysburg, after the Civil War eventually became president of Notre Dame. There is a matching statue of him on the campus in front of Corby hall:
http://ndtoday.alumni.nd.edu/s/1210/nl-subpage.aspx?sid=1210&gi...
I'm thinking that because of him, when Notre Dame needed a name for the team they chose the Fighting Irish although it was also in part because of the number of Irish-American players on the team.
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Permalink Reply by Bernard Raymond O'Brien on
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I am an octogenarian and a Notre Dame fan since age 5, or for 80 years.
Whatever the original reason for calling the school "The Fighting Irish", they were different times.
Since I was age 5 I have had to live with the prejudice of many that the Irish were always fighting; not in a good sense.
Many holding this prejudice years ago were anti-Irish Catholic. I have some ambivalence, but all in all, its a negative stereotype so lets live in today and change it.
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