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Remembering the Fenian Invasion of Canada: A Historical Perspective

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Fenian Invasion, No Canadian Bacon

Many will remember Michael Moore’s 1995 comedy starring John Candy, which was about a threatened invasion of Canada. Though the movie was written as a spoof, well-armed Americans DID invade Canada once upon a time. The date was June of 1866, just one year after the end of the Civil War at Appomattox.

Many new Irish immigrants arriving in the 1860s were pulled into the American Civil War, where they fought valiantly on both sides. The Union Army had no less than seven generals and over 150,000 Union troops who were Irish. Cleveland’s Hibernian Guard was one of the first units to answer President Lincoln’s call for troops after the fall of Ft. Sumpter. We are all aware of the heroics of the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg.

After the Civil War, there were thousands of well-trained, battle-hardened Irish Nationalists. These folks evolved out of the Young Irelanders, who led the failed 1848 rebellion in Ireland.

Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB)

The Irish regrouped as the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and in America, The Fenian Brotherhood became the name. The Fenian Soldier’s Song of that time:

“We are the Fenian Brotherhood, skilled in the arts of war, and we’re going to fight for Ireland, the land we adore, Many battles we have won, along with the boys in blue, And we’ll go and capture Canada, for we’ve nothing else to do.”

A bit cavalier, but it sums up the many legs of this movement, as well as any treatise. The Fenians convened nationally in Cleveland in the fall of 1865, where sentiment for the idea of invading the British colonies of Canada and holding it hostage to negotiate independence for the Irish people solidified.

The following spring, several hundred Fenians convened at Union Station on Cleveland’s lakefront, where many spent the night before proceeding by train to Buffalo, N.Y. to join up with hundreds more fellow Fenians. Perhaps 1,000 ultimately took part, with most crossing the swift waters of the Niagara River where the current Peace Bridge now stands. This is where Lake Erie and the entire Upper Great Lakes narrows into the Niagara River for the short trip to Niagara Falls, Lake Ontario, and out the St. Lawrence to the North Atlantic, before heading on to the Emerald Isle.

On June 1st, Fenian troops successfully defeated Crown Forces at Fort Erie, causing British reinforcements to be sent by train. On June 2nd, Fenian forces under the command of John O’Neil routed the Crown forces at the Battle of Ridgeway during a second battle. It was one of the few times Irish armed forces ever bested British armies.

While Washington, D.C. had turned a blind eye so far, it now sent Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to communicate to his former troops that the American Army would be forced to enforce the neutrality laws of the United States. With supply lines now blocked from Buffalo and other incursions to Montreal and at Detroit abandoned, the Fenians chose to return to American soil, successful in raising awareness of the cause of the Mother Land and keeping the tradition of armed struggle for a free and independent Ireland alive, continuing the use of force exercised in 1798 and 1848 to live another day, that day occurring in 1916.

Fourteen Irish Americans were killed in the invasion of Canada, half from Ohio, most from Cleveland: Patrick Buckley, Major John Canty, Sgt. James John Geraghty, Lt. Ed Lonergan, Sgt. John Lynch, Private John Lynch, Thomas Rafferty, and Edward Scully. The Erie County AOH Division #1 sponsors a memorial ceremony each year on the bank of the mighty Niagara River at a monument dedicated to the valiant efforts to advance the cause of a Free Ireland. May they rest in peace.

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin seats up 40% in Westminster in last month’s U.K. parliamentary elections. The DUP took a big hit, losing over 37% of their seats, including the seat held by the ignominious Ian Paisley, Jr. in North Antrim. Jr. and his Pa, the Rev. Ian Paisley, held this Westminster seat for over 50 years. Unfortunately, noted DUP bigot Gregory Campbell narrowly held onto his seat in East Derry by less than 200 votes. Sinn Féin has become the largest parliamentary party in the Six Counties, with seven seats; irony noted as SF abstains from sitting in the British Parliament, located at the Palace of Westminster.

STARmer Shines

The U.K.’s Labour Party achieved a colossal landslide, winning over 400 seats, with the Tories losing over 250 seats. Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald said:

“Sinn Féin is determined to build a constructive relationship with the new Labour government. We look forward to working positively with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the many shared priorities for Ireland and Britain during this historic time of renewal.

“After fourteen years of Tory rule, marked by dysfunction and chaos, they crudely undermined the Good Friday Agreement during Brexit, harming citizens and communities. They also abandoned cooperation with Dublin, causing significant damage. The new Labour government now has a huge opportunity to reset relations with the Irish Government and the power-sharing Executive, where First Minister Michelle O’Neill will work to restore effective cooperation.

“We expect the new Prime Minister to uphold the Good Friday Agreement, which Labour helped deliver, ensuring its political, legal, and constitutional guarantees are respected. This includes respecting all our national identities, political allegiances, and working together to defend peace and build on reconciliation efforts.

“The British Government must embrace principles of rigorous impartiality, and the right to self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification. The Tories’ handling of the past, including abandoning the Stormont House Agreement, has failed victims and survivors seeking justice.

“Their ‘Bill of Shame’ must be repealed, and we expect decisive action from the incoming Labour government. Sinn Féin will seek urgent clarity on this matter.

“Today marks a historic change, offering huge opportunities to foster positive relations between Britain and Ireland. Sinn Féin aims to deliver an ambitious agenda to improve the lives of workers, families, and communities over the coming decade and we will work with the Labour government to achieve this.”

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