Ottawa Events · St. Patrick’s Day Guide

While St. Patrick’s Day may have begun as a religious holiday honouring the man who brought Christianity to Ireland, March 17th is now a day to celebrate Irish heritage and culture in Ottawa.

Irish immigrants played an essential role in the early history of the city and the building of its famous Rideau Canal. Walk into any of Ottawa’s many pubs on March 17th and you’re sure to find a party. From the pubs of the Irish Village in the ByWard Market to Pub Italia in the heart of Little Italy, St. Patrick’s Day is always a celebration.

If you decide to visit a pub on St. Paddy’s Day, remember to wear your green and get there early! Many of the most popular spots are packed by 4pm. It’s often standing room only, but with all the great traditional Celtic music, high-quality beer (no green food colouring here!) and friendly faces, no one ever seems to mind.

Alcohol-Free Activities

There’s a lot to see and do on St. Patrick’s Day in Ottawa, even if crowded pubs aren’t your cup of tea. Explore the history of the city’s Irish immigrants with a visit to the Bytown Museum located between the Parliament Buildings and the Chateau Laurier at the entrance to the Rideau Canal. And don’t miss the St. Patrick’s Day parade hosted by the Irish Society of the National Capital Region, or the music and dancing at the céilí—a traditional Irish party—afterwards.

If you really want to do things differently, why not participate in the Ottawa Irish Rugby Club’s annual St. Patrick’s Day fun run? Or check out the latest production put on by the Tara Players, Ottawa’s Irish theatre company.

Walking Tour of Irish History (approx. 2. 5 km)

Daniel O’Connor

Our tour begins at the corner of Sparks Street and O’Connor in downtown Ottawa. O’Connor Street is named after Irish-born Daniel O’Connor, who arrived in Ottawa in 1827 and quickly became a leader in the community. He held many local public offices and was one of the first Irish Catholics to prosper here.

Assassination of D’Arcy McGee

Walk east along the Sparks Street mall just a little ways, and you will come across a Canadian heritage plaque near the spot where Father of Confederation Thomas D’Arcy McGee was shot on April 7th, 1868. Within 24 hours, fellow Irishman, James Patrick Whelan, was arrested for the crime, and later hanged at the Ottawa Jail—which is now a youth hostel—near the Rideau Centre.

Walk further up Sparks to Elgin, and you will come across a pub named in McGee’s honour. Just steps from Parliament Hill, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub is a fitting tribute to one of Canada’s most eloquent politicians and writers.

Building the Rideau Canal

Cross Elgin Street and walk towards the National War Memorial. Just past this tribute to Canadian war veterans, you’ll find a staircase leading down to the banks of the Rideau Canal. Between 1826 and 1832, the building of the Canal brought many Irish immigrant labourers to Ottawa. By 1836 they made up more than one third of the city’s population!

Bytown Museum

Follow the path down the west side of the canal to the Bytown Museum. Housed in Ottawa’s oldest stone building, the Bytown Museum is a treasure trove of information on the creation of the Canal, the early days of Ottawa, and the city’s emergence as Canada’s capital.

Corktown
After taking in the museum, follow the path back and cross over to the east bank of the Canal. Once known as Corktown—after the County Cork in Ireland—this is where many Irish canal builders lived with their families in sod and log shanties. Once considered a dangerous place to walk after dark, this lively community is now home to the Rideau Centre shopping mall and the National Arts Centre.

Memorial to Irish Canal Builders

Head down the path towards the entrance locks of the Canal. In June 2004, a Celtic Cross memorial was erected here to commemorate the estimated 1,000 Irish workers and their families who died from accidents and illness during the building of the famous waterway.

Lowertown

Now it’s time to return to the upper streets. You should emerge in front of the Chateau Laurier. Walk past this famous hotel to Sussex Drive, and the area known as Lowertown, This is where many Irish workers moved once the Canal was finished. Walk up Sussex to Clarence Street and turn into the busy ByWard Market. Once again you’ll see the city’s Irish heritage in the names of streets and pubs along the way.

Mother McGinty’s

Turn left when you reach Parent, and then turn right at Murray St. On the way you will see the back entrance of the Irish Village—a series of pubs spreading across the city block. Mother McGinty’s pub was named for a famous drinking hole once located in Corktown. While the original pub is now long gone, the memory of its tough and charming owner still lives in the heart of Ottawa.

St. Brigid’s
Continue up Murray Street to St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church and the end of our tour. This church was built in 1890 when the larger Notre Dame Cathedral on Sussex was becoming crowded. St. Brigid’s gave English-speaking Catholics in Lowertown their own place of worship. It was—and still is—an integral part of community life for many Irish-Canadians living in Ottawa.