Sharon Doyle Driedger, the best-selling author of An Irish Heart — How a Small Immigrant Community Shaped Canada, passed away on May 25 in Toronto.
An Irish Heart tells the story of the thousands of impoverished Irish immigrants who settled in Montreal after fleeing the Great Famine of the 1840s.
Soon after they arrived, a thriving Irish settlement called Griffintown was born and it endured in Montreal for over a century. The Irish became known for their skill as navvies, building our canals and bridges, working long hours in factories, and raising large and close-knit families.
The book, published in 2010, is filled with personal recollections drawn from extensive author interviews.
Family historian Margaret Dougherty, who shared on Facebook the news about Ms. Doyle Driedger’s passing, wrote, “Anyone here whose Canadian ancestors came from Ireland will want to read this book.”
Fergus Keyes, a director of the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation, also shared his thoughts on Facebook. He wrote, “An Irish Heart — How a Small Immigrant Community Shaped Canada stands out as a remarkable historical novel about the Irish in Griffintown, and their impact on our city, province, and country. Having read many books on the history of Montreal, Quebec, and Canada, I can say (Ms. Doyle Driedger’s) work was truly exceptional.”
Ms. Doyle Driedger was a former senior writer for Maclean’s magazine.
Ms. Doyle Driedger was born in the Montreal neighbourhood, Griffintown to a third-generation Irish family. She was a former senior writer for Maclean’s magazine and won a National Magazine Award for her writing.
An Irish Heart is available in many libraries and it can be purchased from Indigo, Amazon, and probably from many Canadian book stores.
Ms. Doyle Driedger is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren, mother, and nine siblings. She will be buried in Montreal. Her obituary was published yesterday in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.
