Black Potatoes: A St. Paddy’s Day Reflection
On the Irish, Immigration, and Our Shared Story
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By Patty Mooney — Nectarball
Hello friends, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all! 💚☘️
Today, as we celebrate Irish heritage and the joy of being alive (with perhaps a little Guinness in hand), I want to take a moment to share something deeply meaningful to me — a video I made called "Black Potatoes."
👉 Watch "Black Potatoes" here:
Black Potatoes is the story of the Irish Potato Famine, a tragedy that unfolded in the mid-1800s when blight destroyed potato crops across Ireland. For a people who depended almost solely on potatoes for sustenance, this was devastating. Nearly one million people died, and another two million fled their homeland — nearly a quarter of Ireland’s population at the time. They boarded "coffin ships" that were sometimes as dangerous as the life they were leaving behind.
Many of those brave souls made their way to America, but here’s something not everyone realizes — just as many Irish landed in Canada, and sometimes families were split between the two countries, following whichever ship they could find passage on. Sisters might have landed in Boston, while brothers ended up in Nova Scotia or Quebec. Some of these families never reunited, but all of them carried the same hopes for a better life.
I think about this a lot — especially as a Californian who loves our friends up north. Canada and the U.S. have always been connected, sometimes literally through the same family tree. And beyond family ties, we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder in two world wars, fighting for freedom and peace.
Of course, we also had a rocky start — we even fought on opposite sides during the War of 1812, when Canada was still under British rule. But time has a way of healing old wounds, and today we’re more than just neighbors — we’re family and allies, bound by shared history, friendships, and values.
And speaking of family history, I’m proud to share that three generations of Michael Mooneys — beginning with my great-great-grandfather Michael Mooney Sr. and his wife, Kate Carty — ran the Narrows Lock on the historic Rideau Canal in Ontario. After her husband passed away, Kate Carty herself stepped up to run the locks, managing the vital waterway until her son, Michael Mooney Jr., was old enough to take over.
Although this remarkable piece of history has never been officially recorded, it lives on in our family’s memory, evidence of her strength, resilience, and quiet leadership in a time when women’s roles were rarely recognized. Later, her son and grandson would continue the family tradition, making it three generations in total.
Imagine the same family, generation after generation, helping boats navigate one of Canada's most historic waterways, a place where commerce, community, and country intersected. That bit of family history reminds me that while some of our ancestors were crossing oceans to find new lives, others were already deeply rooted in the fabric of Canadian life, helping to shape its development.
And my great-uncle, Father Tom Mooney, carried on that tradition of service. He was the first Canadian Catholic chaplain to fall in World War II, giving his life in service to others. He now rests in Belgium, a reminder that the ties between Canada and the U.S. are forged not only in shared history but in shared sacrifice.
And the immigrant story continues in my own lifetime. Jasmine Mooney, the daughter of Stephen Mooney — whose family graciously hosted Mark and me at their home in the Yukon when we were traveling in our tiny Chinook camper back in 1986 — was held for 11 days by ICE when she crossed the border from Tijuana into San Diego. We hadn’t been in touch with Stephen since that visit nearly forty years ago, but when I saw a story about a woman named Jasmine Mooney from Yukon being detained and shuffled from one ICE facility to another, I was stunned to learn that Stephen was her father! What an incredible, unexpected connection — and a powerful reminder that the immigrant experience is ongoing and deeply personal. Here was a young woman, part of that same extended Irish-Canadian lineage, now facing the modern-day struggles of borders and bureaucracy — proof that immigration is not just history, but a living, breathing story still being written today.
So when I think of the Irish, I think of resilience. I think of people who faced hunger, poverty, and rejection, but who persevered to build new lives. And I think of what immigration really means — the courage to start over, to hope against hope for a better future.
Here in America, and in Canada, we are all the product of immigration stories like these — whether they began in Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Vietnam, or beyond. And on this St. Paddy's Day, as we dance to a lively jig or lift a glass, I hope we also take a moment to remember how much we owe to those who came before us.
Because here’s the thing: Immigration is not a burden — it's a gift. It brings new ideas, new energy, and new love into our countries. And if the Irish story teaches us anything, it’s that those who arrive on our shores with nothing but hope in their hearts become some of the strongest threads in the fabric of our nations.
So today, let’s celebrate all immigrants and all dreamers, whether they came across the Atlantic in 1847 or are arriving today in search of safety and a future. Immigrants are what have made this country great — and America has never been not great. From every corner of the world, people have brought their courage, talents, and dreams, weaving them into the very fabric of who we are. And let's remember that Canada and the U.S. are family — not just neighbors, but partners in history, sacrifice, and hope — bound together by the journeys of those who came seeking a better life.
We are not separate — we are one. One human family, sharing this earth, this history, and this hope. May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, and may we always be a place where newcomers are welcomed with open arms.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, my friends. Sláinte! 🍻
With love and green sparkles,
Patty Mooney & Mark Schulze
Crystal Pyramid Productions
Nectarball: The Story of Cannabis
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