Quebec Premier Charest Makes Historic Announcement at Luncheon of St. Patrick's Society
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QUEBEC Premier Jean Charest (centre) at the Montreal St. Patrick's Society luncheon with (L-R) Brian O'Neill Gallery and Michael Kenneally.
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MONTREAL - Premier Jean Charest delighted the more than 500 guests at the March 17 luncheon of the Montreal St. Patrick's Society when he announced that the Government of Quebec would donate two million dollars to the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation.
Adding icing to the cake was the announcement from the Concordia University Foundation of its one million dollar contribution, so that a permanent endowment of three million dollars would be created. The annual income from the endowment will fund a prestigious Chair in Canadian Irish Studies named in honour of the Johnson family.
The Premier said that he was pleased to respond to a request from the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation for support for a Chair and was especially delighted to partner with the privately funded Foundation of Concordia University.
He also said that he was delighted with the suggestion of the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation that this high-profile Chair in Canadian Irish Studies be named after the Johnson family.
In his account of the deep-rooted role of the Irish in all aspects of Quebec life, Premier Charest said that the Johnsons were the most illustrious Irish-Quebecers. To have three Premiers, representing three different political parties, come from one family was unique in Quebec and perhaps so in the entire world.
The donation of one million from the Concordia University Foundation was announced by President Michael Di Grappa, on behalf of Kathy Assayag, president of the Concordia University Foundation, and its vice-president, Brian Edwards.
In attendance at this historic moment for Montreal's Irish community were His Excellency Declan Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland; Mayor Gerald Trembly; former Premier Daniel Johnson Jr.; and several members of the extended Johnson family.
In the audience were leaders of all of Montreal's Irish associations, past-presidents of St. Patrick's Society and various municipal, provincial and federal politicians.
The three million endowment will generate an annual income for a high-profile professor with an international reputation who will attract graduate students and research funding to the University.
Premier Charest spoke proudly of his own Irish-Quebec roots and of the wide spectrum of accomplishments of the approximately 40 percent of Quebecers who can trace some Irish ancestry.
He also thanked all those associated with the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation, especially its Chair, Brian O'Neill Gallery, and Executive Director, Michael Kenneally for their many years of dedication so that generations of students will be able to learn about the Irish heritage, especially the story of the Irish in Montreal, Quebec and Canada.
In thanking Premier Charest for this extraordinarily generous support, Brian Gallery said that the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation was profoundly grateful and that his Irish heart was deeply touched by this achievement.
"We have worked and dreamed for so long for this day that I can hardly control my emotions," Gallery said. He also extended special thanks to the members of St. Patrick's Society who first believed in this project, and contributed more than $150,000 over the years towards that dream.
Gallery went on to say that "This will mean the dawning of a new day for Canadian Irish Studies but we hope that we will see other such days in the future. But for now, our job is to thank each and every one of our supporters and all those at Concordia who have brought us this far."
Gallery concluded by saying that, "on this occasion, in front of so many of my friends and supporters, I am very proud to be Irish, to be a Montrealer a Quebecer, and a Canadian."
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