Irish immigration to Montserrat

[2] Montserrat was first settled on by Irish Catholics in 1632, who were sent there by Sir Thomas Warner, the first British governor of neighbouring St Kitts.

[1] After the settlement, more Irish settlers were attracted from colonial Virginia and they established plantations to grow tobacco and indigo, which would eventually be followed by cotton and sugar.

[citation needed] By the mid-seventeenth century, Irish Catholics accounted for the majority of the roughly 1,000 families resident on the island.

[5] These Irish people not only made up most of the population but they grew wealthy and played a huge role in the island's economy, becoming far more successful than their English and Scottish counterparts because, as one contemporary explained, ''They knew how to be tough and efficient slave masters.

[10] Other cultural influences include music, value systems, and the Irish recipe for the national dish "goat water stew."

Identified as a national holiday in Montserrat, Saint Patrick's Day is a week long festival celebrated every year since 1985.

Many typical Irish images are displayed, such as shamrocks, leprechauns, and Guinness beer, but African heritage is included in the incorporation of dance and music into celebrations, as well as certain events such as the "Slave Feast.