OTTAWA IRISH HONOURS LIST  

November 12, 2025 Prepared for the Irish Society of the NCR
By Michael McBane 

* Mother (Sarah) McGinty (1803-c.1853) 

The legendary tavern keeper who served Bytown’s Irish canal navvies.  

Élisabeth Bruyère, SCO (1818-1876) 

Founder of Bytown’s Sisters of Charity and friend of the Irish Famine refugees.  

* Mary Josephine Phelan, SCO (1823-1899) 

Second Mother Superior of the Sisters of Charity.  

William Tormey (1795-1866) 

Master Blacksmith, Rideau Canal.  

* Thomas D’Arcy McGee (1825-1868) 

Father of Confederation, journalist, historian, educator, poet, and statesman. 

Nicholas Sparks (1794-1862) 

A prominent citizen and longtime member of City Council.  

Daniel O’Connor (1796-1858) 

Pioneer businessman, civic leader and Bytown’s first Justice of the Peace.  

Henry Friel (1823-1869) 

Mayor of Bytown and Ottawa, journalist and editor of the Bytown Packet. 

Michael Molloy, OMI (1801-1891) 

Served 50 years as Bytown’s beloved first chaplain to Irish Catholics.  

* Thomas Ahearn (1855-1938) 

Engineer who first brought electricity, phones and tramways to the city.  

King Clancy (1902-1986) 

Won two Stanley Cups with the Ottawa Senators: 1923 and 1927. 

* Patrick Reid (1924-2015) 

Led the team in Ottawa who designed Canada’s new flag in 1965. 

    * denotes feature in Fifty Irish Lives in Canada, 2025.