The Irish Families Memorial is located in Riverfront Park on Blvd l’Assomption in downtown Moncton. It sits proudly just at the entrance to Riverfront Park, directly behind the Blue Cross Centre, and just a short walk from Moncton City Hall on Main Street.

Designed by Linda Evans of Irishtown, NB and John Matthews of Amherst, NS, the monument includes a 12-foot Celtic cross surrounded by four standing stones as well as four tablets and two benches for visitors.

The site of the monument is circular in keeping with Celtic mysticism and spirituality.

In the centre of the site is a 12-foot Celtic cross adorned with elaborate Celtic knot work which was carefully carved by Taze Down of Tingleys Monuments.

On the base of the front of the Celtic cross is the following:

“This monument is dedicated to the Irish families of south-eastern New Brunswick whose contribution to the growth and development of Moncton and her surrounding communities has been great.” 

On the base of the back of the Celtic cross is carved the following inscription:

“Fleeing hunger and oppression,
They crossed the sea
With broken hearts and tears of longing,
– And here found safe haven.
To those early settlers and their descendants,
We pay homage.”

Surrounding the Celtic cross are four standing stones, which represent the four provinces of Ireland – Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht. They are appropriate because the early Irish immigrant settlers to south-eastern New Brunswick came from the four corners of Ireland and settled in several small Irish communities throughout Albert, Kent and Westmorland counties. 

On these standing stones are carved 300 names of individuals and families of Irish descent who lived in the Irish communities of south-eastern New Brunswick and left their legacy of survival, tenacity and independence.

In Phase II of the Irish Families Memorial in 2003, four tablets were added with a further 100 names of our Irish ancestors. Also put in place at that time were two benches. The benches look like stylized pagan dolmans and are used by visitors while they read the names inscribed on the monument.

Dedicated on July 29, in the Millennium year, 2000, the Irish Families Memorial was erected by the Westmorland Albert Kent (Moncton) Chapter of the Irish Canadian Cultural Association of New Brunswick. Hundreds were in attendance at the dedication ceremony. The monument was unveiled in a grand ceremony, which included pipers and musicians. Linda Evans, Chapter President, addressed the crowd as well as Moncton Mayor Brian F P Murphy and Claudette Bradshaw, MP Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe among others.

The monument is made of light grey granite and was constructed in Amherst, Nova Scotia by Tingleys Monuments. The landscaping includes a circular pattern of paving stones that draw you into the site. The landscaping was carried out by Signature Landscaping of Moncton, NB.

Most of the financing was procured through subscription. Families and individuals contributed to have names carved onto the four standing stones and the four tablets surrounding the Celtic Cross. Indeed, subscriptions for the project came from as far away as Western Canada, New England, California and even New Zealand. The project became a community event and families challenged each other to not only find their ancestors names, but also to make sure that no one was left out. 

Indeed, in one case, a transient, known simply as John the Irishman

(aka John Tierney) was added to the monument from simple coin donations and his name now adorns the top of one of the standing stones.

Funding was also acquired from the Federal government through the Canada Millennium Partnership Program, the Province of New Brunswick’s NB2000 fund and the City of Moncton.