Did you know that New Brunswick’s oldest City – Saint John – is known for its strong Irish roots and history? And for those ready to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, we thought we would share a few interesting tidbits with you. If you have more to add to the list, let us know!

1. According to The Irish Story, more than 150,000 immigrants flooded to Saint John between 1815 and 1867. That’s 150,000 people!

2. Following the Great Fire which levelled much of the city’s central peninsula on June 20th, 1877, Saint John was rebuilt almost exclusively by Irish labour.

3. St. Patrick wasn’t Irish and he wasn’t born in Ireland. Patrick’s parents were Roman citizens living in modern-day England, or more precisely in Scotland or Wales (scholars cannot agree on which). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians and the Christian religion was spreading rapidly across Europe.

4.The original colour associated with St. Patrick is blue, not green as commonly believed. In several artworks depicting the saint, he is shown wearing blue vestments. King Henry VIII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. Since that time, and possibly before, blue has been a popular colour to represent the country on flags, coats-of-arms, and even sports jerseys.

Green was associated with the country later, presumably because of the greenness of the countryside, which is so because Ireland receives plentiful rainfall. Today, the country is also referred to as the “Emerald Isle.”  

5. Corned beef and cabbage, a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day staple, doesn’t have anything to do with the grain corn. Instead, it’s a nod to the large grains of salt that were historically used to cure meats, which were also known as “corns.”

Now of course, this post is just for fun. If you are looking for help with your Marketing and Communications strategy, and specifically to be cybersecurity communications preparedness, connect with us. We can help.