Bryan O’Gallagher, president of Irish Heritage Quebec and honorary consul of Ireland to Quebec, welcomed everyone to the St. Patrick’s Day meeting in McMahon Hall. He held up a pair of bronzed children’s shoes. One of 15 similar pairs, they are part of the Global Irish Famine Way heritage trail initiative, launched in St. John’s, N.L., in 2024. These shoes were brought to Canada from Ireland to memorialize the Irish immigrants who fled the potato famine and landed in ports around the world, including Quebec City. This pair, presented to Irish Heritage Quebec in 2024, will be installed on Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site this year. Patrick McSweeney plays the uilleann pipes at the Irish Heritage Quebec St. Patrick’s Day meeting. Local historian Steve Cameron gave a talk in English, French and Irish Gaelic about “The Walk from There to Here” – the journey of Irish immigrants to Quebec. (Photo by Cassandra Kerwin)