MONTREAL/November 3, 2006—
Dr. Claude Lajeunesse, President of Concordia University, is delighted to announce that the University will become the home to Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game, a rare book on Canadian hockey, thanks to the generosity of Brian Malone. The book will be officially presented to Concordia following its restoration by Library and Archives Canada.
Published in 1899, Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Games was written by Quebec-city native Arthur Farrell, himself a winner of two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Shamrocks and later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Only three copies are known to exist and Malone inherited his copy from his father, Dr. J.M.F. Malone, team doctor for the Trois RivÏËres Reds in the 40's and 50's.
Malone lent the book to Gazette Sports columnist, Red Fisher, and asked him to find an appropriate home. Over the last few months, Fisher has written several articles on the book's significance in capturing bygone attitudes to the national game. He also sent it for viewing to Prime Minister Harper who himself is writing a history of hockey in Canada. The Prime Minister was so respectful of its importance that he asked Library and Archives Canada to make a digital copy.
In the meantime, Malone decided that the precious book should be given to the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation to be passed on to the Centre for Canadian Irish Studies at Concordia University. President Lajeunesse said ìthe University is honored to have been chosen by Mr. Malone to become custodian of this historical artifactî. Brian O'Neill Gallery, Chair of the Canadian Irish Studies Foundation, said he was ìdelighted that the Foundation could play a part in ensuring that the precious archival document was being given to the Centre for Canadian Irish Studiesî.
It will be housed at Concordia Archives where it will become part of an extensive sport documentation collection related to the university's Sports Hall of Fame. The Archives has state of the art facilities to house and make available to researchers this irreplaceable original document.
Dr. Michael Kenneally, Director of the Centre for Canadian Irish Studies, pointed out that this book is a reminder of the role the Irish have played in Quebec society. ìOne of the mandates of the Centre is study the complex relationship between the Irish and French over many generations, a bond often reinforced by a common religion and the fact that both Ireland and Quebec were colonies of Englandî.
Irish participation in hockey is deep-rooted, as evidenced by the Montreal Shamrocks who won the Stanley Cup in 1899 and 1900 and for whom Arthur Farrell played. The Montreal Canadiens were founded in 1910 by Ambrose O'Brien and were managed and coached for their first decade by George Kennedy. This tradition continued with hockey greats such as Dickie Moore and is manifested today in Canadiens General Manager, Bob Gainey, who is proud of his Irish heritage.
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Source :
Tanya Churchmuch
Senior Media Relations Advisor
Concordia University
