Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, an expert on Irish traditional music, sketched the history behind the waves of Irish immigration to the Maritime Provinces, Quebec and points west through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
He spoke of the establishment of Gaelic speaking pockets in Canada and of the enduring Irish traditional dance and music these communities brought with them. With audio extracts and playing his own concertina, he demonstrated how these rhythmic patterns persevere in the traditional music of Quebec, the Metis and among Canadians of Irish ethnicity today.
About sixty people were in attendance at McMahon Hall, 1145 de Salaberry.
Professor Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin lectured at the University of San Francisco and currently holds the Johnson Chair in Quebec and Canadian Irish Studies at Concordia University in Montreal."
The Influence of Irish Traditional Music in Quebec: