History
In the seventeenth century, the first Irish settlers arrived in Canada on French ships during the French colonization of America. In the eighteenth century, Irish fishermen arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador to fish, many of whom remained to live in that province. By 1850 there were more than 500,000 Irish immigrants living in Canada, although many then went to live in the United States. Until 1922 Canada and Ireland were part of the British Empire, hence their international relations were regulated by London. From 1922 to 1937, there was the Irish Free State, which was a British dominion like Canada. In 1929, Canada sent John Hall Kelly to Ireland to become the first Canadian High Commissioner to that country. This took place at a time when London did not allow Canada to have embassies in most countries of the world, and the British representative in Ireland was not allowed to have ambassadorial status. In 1937, Ireland changed its constitution to achieve full independence from Great Britain, but there remained some uncertainty about London’s role in Irish law. In 1931, with the signing of the Statute of Westminster, Canada became a sovereign and independent country. In 1939 Ireland and Canada opened diplomatic missions in each other’s capitals.
In 1948 Irish Prime Minister John Costello paid an official visit to Canada, where he declared Ireland a republic. It is still not entirely clear why John Costello made this announcement in Canada. Perhaps he was offended by the behavior of the Governor General of Canada, Harold Alexander, who was of Northern Irish descent and allegedly placed symbols of Northern Ireland at a dinner party with John Costello, in particular a replica of the famous Roaring Mag gun used at the Siege of Derry. According to prior arrangements, the dinner should have included a toast to the King of Great Britain and the President of Ireland, but the result was only a toast to the King, which infuriated the Irish delegation. Shortly after these events, John Costello announced his intention to establish a republic. According to other versions, this decision was not made by him spontaneously, but he planned to announce the establishment of a republic in Canada, and the Irish press made up a story about an unfriendly reception. In 1986, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced that Canada would invest $10 million over 10 years in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic to stimulate economic and social development programs. In recent years, Canada has actively supported the peace process in Northern Ireland, with former Chief of Defence Staff John de Chastelan chairing the Independent International Commission on Disarmament of the Confronting Parties. In August 2017, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar came to Canada on an official visit and, together with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, took part in a gay pride parade in Montreal. About 4.5 million Canadians have Irish roots (approximately 14% of Canada’s population).
Trade
In 2015, the volume of trade between the countries amounted to 2.2 billion Canadian dollars. Canada’s exports to Ireland: chemicals, vehicles and equipment, machinery, mechanical and electronic products. Ireland’s exports to Canada: chemical products, specialized tools, and food products. In October 2016, Canada and the European Union (including Ireland) signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
Diplomatic Missions
- Ireland has an embassy in Ottawa.
- Canada has an embassy in Dublin.