Canadian Museum of History marks the life and legacy of Thomas D’Arcy McGee

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

For immediate release

Gatineau, Quebec, March 27, 2016 — The Canadian Museum of History is marking the 150th anniversary of Thomas D’Arcy McGee’s death by inviting you to two events on April 6 and 7, to learn more about the life of the youngest Father of Confederation.

D’Arcy McGee enjoyed a remarkable career as a journalist, poet, author and politician in Ireland, the United States and Canada. As a youth, during a period of famine and international revolution, he was one of the leaders of the Young Ireland Rising movement of 1848.

He also took an uncompromising stand against the Fenians — Irish republicans who wanted to free both Ireland and Canada from British rule. At the age of 42, in the early hours of April 7, 1868, he was assassinated on an Ottawa street by an Irishman who viewed him as a traitor to the country of his birth.

Thomas D’Arcy McGee: Irish Rebel, Canadian Icon – A Life in Words and Music
Friday, April 6 at 7 p.m. – Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Canadian History Hall
Tickets: $20 (+taxes); $10 (+taxes) for Museum members, seniors and students. Purchase tickets online.

 Enjoy music reflecting the forms and styles of traditional Canadian–Irish culture during the mid-19th century. Each piece was inspired by a significant event or experience in the life of D’Arcy McGee, and is bookended by commentary from David A. Wilson, a specialist in modern Irish history and the history of the Irish in North America. The Canadian History Hall will be open following the concert — including Gallery 2, which features a famous portrait of D’Arcy McGee, along with artifacts related to his life and death. A reception with cash bar will follow the performance.

Lecture –Thomas D’Arcy McGee and the Future of Canada
Saturday, April 7 at 1:30 p.m.
Resource Centre 

How did one-time Irish revolutionary Thomas D’Arcy McGee transform himself into a Father of Confederation? Join historian David A. Wilson, author of an award-winning, two-volume biography of McGee, as he explores the journey of the poet, journalist and politician.

More information is available at historymuseum.ca or by calling 819-776-7000 or 1-800-555-5621.
Work of the Canadian Museum of History is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

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