St. Patrick’s Day festivities

Take advantage of the Saint-Patrick festivities in Quebec to have a good time and celebrate the arrival of spring. Several activities highlighting Québec's Irish heritage are offered in all neighbourhoods, in addition to the famous St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Also, several Irish pubs in the city center including Pub Saint-Patrick, Pub Galway, Irish Pub Claddagh, Le Trèfle and Irish Pub Chez Murphy's, Pub Nelligan's et le Pub Saint-Alexandre welcome festive people with special products, entertainment and traditional or Irish-inspired music.

The Irish in Québec City

When the Great Famine hit Ireland in the 1840s, it forced thousands of Irish families to immigrate to Canada. After a difficult crossing, Irish immigrants were sent through the Grosse Île Quarantine Station, where over 5,000 of them died of typhus or cholera. The survivors then came ashore in Québec City. Some settled down in the region, while others moved on to other parts of Québec and, eventually, North America. In Québec City, St. Patrick’s Day is welcomed as a chance to honour that Irish history.