prominent in political life. The Irish temperance movement was founded in Cork, Ireland in April 1838 by the Franciscan priest, Father Theobald Mathew. In 1841 the movement was introduced to St. John's by Father Kyran Walsh. During the 1840s and into the 1860s, the Newfoundland Temperance Society became one of the most popular working class fraternal organizations in St. John's. In the context of Irish culture and politics, the Irish temperance movement in Newfoundland also became a political forum for lobbying for the repeal of the Acts of Union 1800 that united Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britain, particularly during the Repeal Year of 1843. By 1844, over 10,000 members had enrolled and by the late 19th century, the society developed a substantial membership and social presence in St. John's. In the early 20th century, the society became renowned for its literary and musical events, and remained one of the most active and influential fraternal societies in St. John's until the 1990s. See also Benevolent Irish Society United Irish Uprising Newfoundland Irish Irish diaspora Irish Canadians Newfoundland (island) Dominion of Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador Thomas Nash (Newfoundland) Irish fisherman, settled in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Founder of Branch, Newfoundland and Labrador References Further reading Casey, George. "Irish culture in Newfoundland." in Cyril J. Byrne and Margaret R. Harry eds., Talamh an eisc: Canadian and Irish essays (Halifax: Nimbus Publishing. 1986) pp: 203-227. Fitzgerald, Garrett, ‘Estimates for baronies of minimal level of Irish-speaking amongst successive decennial cohorts, 117-1781 to 1861-1871,’ Volume 84, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 1984. FitzGerald, John Edward. "Conflict and Culture in Irish-Newfoundland Roman Catholicism, 1829-1850." (Ph.D. dissertation, 1997. University of Ottawa) Abstract Kirwan, William J. (1993). ‘The planting of Anglo-Irish in Newfoundland’ in Focus on Canada, Sandra Clark (ed.). John Benjamin's Publishing Company. Trew, Johanne Devlin Trew, "The Forgotten Irish? Contested sites and narratives of nation in Newfoundland." Ethnologies 27#2 (2005): 43-77. online External links Statistics Canada: 2006 Population by selected ethnicity, Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland: The Most Irish Place Outside of Ireland The Irish Loop on the southern portion of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula Statistics Canada 2006 Census - Ethnic Origin by Sex, Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland's Grand Banks site - Genealogical and Historical Data for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador National Adult Literacy Database guidebook on Newfoundland multiculturalism Irish Newfoundlanders