Irish...And Proud Of It!
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- SpeakerThe speaker, Marion Reid, quotes Edward Whelan to illustrate that the Irish people are passionate and cherish the memory of their great people. The Irish are known for their music, storytelling, laughter and wit. The Irish people also have a love for education and are imaginative and hospitable.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s great-grandfather, Captain Andrew Doyle born in 1818 in Ireland, sailed his ship to Australia and later to P. E. I. He bought Empire House in Charlottetown which later became the Strathcona Hotel. He married Elizabeth Godwell in 1842. They moved to Doyle's Cove in 1869. He owned a variety of businesses. He built the ships Annie and the Vagabond(name unclear). The oldest of his seven children, Thomas, was the speaker’s grandfather who married Teresa McLure.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s great grandfather died on January 29, 1896 at age 78 whiel he was still captain of the Dominion Dredge. His funeral was at the Cathedral attended by many prominent people of the city. His pallbearers included Lt Governor George Howlan, Dr J. T. Jenkins, John Quirk, Thomas Handrahan, James Curry and John Fraser.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s grandfather took over the farm in Rustico and the hotel in Charlottetown. He was an enterprising man who was well-known and well-liked.
- SpeakerThe speaker talks about the Marco Polo ship which was built in 1881 in St. John, New Brunswick. When the ship was 32 years old, it had an accident off Cavendish. The speaker’s 38-year-old grandfather played an important role in saving all the crew and passengers.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s father, Michael, was a farmer. Her uncles were Andy and Jack Doyle. Her grandmother’s daughter, Maggie, died of diptheria when she was about 4. The speaker was born in 1929. That year her grandfather was sick with typhoid fever. His two daughters visited him before they realized it was typhoid fever. They contracted typhoid fever and also died . In total, her grandmother lost 5 daughters.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s grandfather was interested in political office and ran in 1904 and 1908 without success. Her grandfather eventually got an important position with Customs and the Department of Fisheries. The speaker reads an account by Mary Brehaut in “The Pioneers of the Island” of a joint meeting between liberals and conservatives involving the speaker’s grandfather.
- SpeakerThe speaker reads the tribute in The Patriot newspaper to her grandfather upon his death. It noted that he was a strong conservative, a devoted Roman Catholic, tolerant of people with different opinions, and showed no trace of bigotry.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s parents married when her father was 38. Her father, Mike Doyle, loved horses. Around 1910, a magnificent but very difficult to manage stallion arrived in Charlottetown. Her father was asked to help unload the stallion because of his skill in handling horses. The speaker’s father bought the stallion and used him in his horse breeding business.
- SpeakerThe speaker explains that her parents could handle any emergency. To illustrate, she tells a story of her brother injuring his shoulder while chopping wood and her father stitching up the wound.
- SpeakerThe speaker relates how in 1931 the family home burned down, fortunately, with no loss of life.
- SpeakerBy Christmas of 1931 the family settled into their new house. In 1926, her father bought 2 silver foxes to start a fox ranch. According to the speaker, a breeding pair of silver foxes cost $30,000.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s mother believed that the children must be educated whether they wanted it or not. The speaker’s mother was a teacher and principal at St. Andrew’s School. All of the speaker’s siblings went to college. The speaker noted that there was only one other Catholic Irish family, the Flemings, in her district, which she considered a positive rather than a disadvantage. Her family often had visitors on Sunday and they prepared food for them. The speaker’s family opened a tourist home in 1938 despite the home lacking electricity. From that time the speaker developed the habit of always wearing a shamrock when leaving home.
- SpeakerThe speaker’s father died of cancer. Dr. Joe MacMIllian notified her father that he had one good year left. To spend that year with her father, the speaker came home to teach in the school at Rustico. The speaker describes her teaching year in the one room school. That same year, the speaker decided to get married.
- SpeakerThe speaker introduces two of her granddaughters who provide musical entertainment for the audience.
- SpeakerThere is a 10 minute break for the audience.
- SpeakerThe year her father died, the speaker was teaching grades 1 to 10 in North Rustico. She started teaching when she was 17 and decided to get married when she was 20. She married Lea Reid on June 29, 1949 between the end of school and the beginning of the haying season.
- SpeakerThe speaker explains that she wanted a large family. After having twins first, she talked to Dr Joe MacMillian about how busy she was and how she could make time to raise her newborn. The doctor told her that she would not be any busier, just more efficient. The speaker explains how this was a defining moment for her. The speaker goes on to explain how important attitude is for people.
- SpeakerThe speaker tells about her love of reading and in particular how “The Grapes of Wrath” showed her that her life was good. The speaker explains how she went back to teaching because there was a shortage of teachers. She taught for 21 years in total.
- SpeakerThe speaker had an interest in politics and so considered entering politics when she wanted a change of career. She lost her first nomination, and in 1978 she lost her first election. The speaker won the election in 1979 and became the Deputy Speaker under Angus MacLean. In later years she became the Speaker. She was sworn into the Legislative Assembly of PEI on June 29, 1979 when she was 50 years old. She relates an anecdote about there being only one other woman in the house besides herself.
- SpeakerThe speaker traveled to Westminster for a seminar on Parliamentary procedure for Speakers of the House. She was the only female Speaker in the Commonwealth at that time. She met the Queen and gave a farewell speech in the House of Lords on behalf of the group attending the seminar.
- SpeakerThe speaker was defeated by the Liberals in the 1989 election. In total, the speaker ran in 5 elections in 10 years: in 1978, 1979, 1982, 1986, and 1989.
- SpeakerThe speaker tells the story of being appointed Lt Governor by Brian Mulroney as well as a bit of her experience as Lt Governor.
- SpeakerThe speaker explained that when she was Lieutenant Governor, she always cooked dinner at the Governor’s House for her family just as her parents had done for her. This is an example of a valuable tradition that she thinks needs to be passed on because what we pass on to our children makes us immortal. The speaker explained that being independent and doing good, honest work are important. In closing, the speaker emphasizes the importance of inner security and being comfortable with one's emotions. The speaker reads a poem to illustrate this point.
- SpeakerApplause
- SpeakerQuestions
- SpeakerFinal comments, applause. As well, the speaker explains the components of the shield that she created to represent her as Lt. Governor.