200th Anniversary

Our first 200 years!
41,000+ (2021 census) islanders can trace their ancestry back to Ireland. Many people "from away" also have strong PEI Irish roots as many of our people left the island to find work across Canada and along the Eastern Seaboard of the USA.
Following is the list of events included in the celebration. Methods to pre-book tickets to these events will be provided at a later date closer to the event. Providing the list of events and dates will help visitors hoping to come to the Island in the spring, summer and fall of 2025 plan to take part in our anniversary event.
Launch of the 200 Year Anniversary Celebration at The Great George – Wellington Hotel

• April 18, 2025 at the Wellington Hotel. COMPLETED.
• On April 18, 1825 the founders of the Society met at the Wellington Hotel in Charlottetown to form the Benevolent Irish Society of PEI in support of the influx of Irish people to PEI.
• The Society's first Patron was the Governor of the day Irish born John Ready. The first Executive consisted of Fade Goff (President), Francis Longworth (Vice President), Rev. Alexander Thomas Fitzgerald (Treasurer), and Charles Desbrisay (Secretary).

4 Headliner Events with Richard Wood Band
These shows are 2.5 hours of fabulous entertainment. Dates:

• Thursday, August 7 — College of Piping in Summerside
• Saturday, August 9 — Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown
• Tuesday, August 12 — Souris Showhall
• Thursday, August 14 — Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown

2 Special Traditional Music Ceilidhs
Featuring all of our most sought-after performers. The Best Ceilidh Lunch on PEI will be served at each event and is included in admission price.

• Friday, August 1 — Irish Hall, 8pm – 10:30pm
• Friday, August 15 — Irish Hall, 8pm – 10:30pm

Old Home Week Events

• August 15 — BIS Float in the Parade
• Date to be Determined — Sponsorship of a race with a cooler blanket and some prize money

Ambassador of Ireland Reception at the Irish Hall
August 1 — Irish Hall. Reception for the Entourage of the current Irish Ambassador to Canada, including the dedication of the Katherine Hughes Monument on the front lawn. Light lunch and traditional entertainment. 14:00–15:30. All are welcome!

Formal Gala Dinner for 250 — SOLD OUT
August 2 — Traditional Irish Dinner (3 courses) plus a "Meet and Greet" before dinner at the Murphy's Community Centre. Food will be catered by Chef Robert Pendergast. Music by Traditional Musicians (Harp, Tin Whistle, Fiddle, Flute, Uilleann Pipes). Irish Ambassador Entourage plus many local dignitaries will be in attendance.

Heritage Cultural Fair (3 days) at the Irish Hall
August 8–10 — Irish Hall grounds, 12:00–17:00

• Step Dancing Demonstration to fiddle music
• Irish Lace Making demonstration
• Celtic applique and Irish crochet demonstration
• Quilts for sale in the hall as well as a demonstration
• Irish Knitting for sale in the hall as well as a demonstration
• Display and Sale of books by local authors, who will also be doing a book reading
• August 8–10 — Ancestry demonstration in the Lower Foyer of the Hall
• Food served in the Parking Lot: Grilled Cheese on Soda Bread, Potato Bannock, Tea Biscuits and Homemade Jam, Irish Apple Cake with Cream, Potato Love, Oysters on the half shell, etc.
• Fiddlers to entertain in the parking lot

Walking Tour of Charlottetown with Irish Focus

• The walking tour will begin as early as May 1st as a self-directed tour, continuing until the snow flies in November.
• August 3–6, 11–13 — Guided tour. A tour booklet created by local historians with stops at many sites of significance to the Irish people of PEI (e.g., Lady Constable Memorial, Irish Settlers Monument on the waterfront, Connolly Buildings, Bourke's Wharf)
• The tour begins at the Irish Settlers Monument on the Charlottetown boardwalk.

Driving Tours of PEI (1 East, 1 West) with Irish Focus

• The driving tours can begin as early as May and continue until the snow flies in November. Not all the museums will be open in early summer or late fall.
• These are self-guided tours of sites of significance to Irish people in Kings and Prince County, as well as several sites in Queens County.
• Kings County — Eastern Tour: includes Orwell Corner, Longworth Avenue Roman Catholic Cemetery, St. Patrick's Pioneer Cemetery in Ft. Augustus, Minnie McGee's grave in the St. Mary's Cemetery, etc.
• Prince County — Western Tour: includes the International Fox Museum, Canadian Potato Museum & Antique Farm Machinery Museum, O'Brien House, etc.
• A tour booklet is provided for each group of travelers.

Irish Artifacts Exhibit at Confederation Centre

• This exhibit is hosted by the Society and the Confederation Centre.
• The exhibit opened June 1 and stayed open until September 14th.
• BIS members collected memorabilia associated with the trip made by the First Settlers to PEI from Ireland.
• The history of the BIS in the life of Islanders is heavily represented. Local printer Dalmac supported the event by creating the exhibit panels.

Lecture Series — 8 Local and International Scholars
August 4–7 and 11–14 at the Irish Hall. Speakers:

• Monday, August 4, 2025 — Dr. Ed Macdonald: Edward Whelan (His Story and His Legacy)
• Tuesday, August 5, 2025 — Leonard Cusack: Owen Connolly (PEI's most famous Irish Entrepreneur)
• Wednesday, August 6, 2025 — Dr. John Flood: Music of Place, from kitchen hearth to Ceili Hall... what the musicians say
• Thursday, August 7, 2025 — Dr. Rory Cornish: Lord Shelburne
• Monday, August 11, 2025 — Dr. Tiber Falzett: Lawrence Doyle and his Songs
• Tuesday, August 12, 2025 — Dr. Padraig O Siadhail: The history/presence of the Irish language in Canada
• Tuesday, August 13, 2024 — Dr. Susan Brown: Irish women and the family and the Irish constitutional referendum debate in Ireland
• Wednesday, August 14, 2024 — Dr. Thomas O'Grady: The Search for Arthur Delaney: Brendan O'Grady's Labour of Love

Sister City BIS Sponsored Events
Souris, Emyvale/Kelly's Cross, Emerald/Breadalbane/Kinkora, Tignish. THE TIGNISH EVENT — ALL SEATS ARE NOW SPOKEN FOR. Some seats available in Emyvale and Kinkora.

• Working with local community advisors to plan events in Kelly's Cross/Emyvale, Tignish and Emerald/Breadalbane/Kinkora areas.
• Tuesday August 12 in Souris — modelled on the Tea Grounds Tea Parties that were popular in the 1890s where visitors travelled by train to Souris, Georgetown and Montague.

Ft. Augustus St. Patrick's Pioneer Cemetery Tour — "A Walk with the Ancestors"

• August 3 (Sunday) and August 10 (Sunday) — Guided tour of the St. Patrick's Pioneer Cemetery in Ft. Augustus where many Irish settlers are buried. The cemetery is going through a major restoration and many of the fallen stones are being righted and cleaned.
• Local historians have created a Tour book. Families named Handrahan, Trainor, Cummisky, Hughes, Duffy, Murnaghan, Connolly are some of the families buried here.
• The tour includes a light lunch and some traditional Celtic music.

Irish Festival