While "colonise" usually implies a state-sponsored endeavor, Montserrat is famously known as the "Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" because it was primarily settled by the Irish in the 17th century. In 1632, Irish Catholics who were being persecuted or forced out of other islands like St. Kitts (due to religious conflicts with British Protestants) fled to Montserrat to establish their own community. Later, Oliver Cromwell's forces transported thousands of Irish "political prisoners" and indentured servants to the island. By the late 1600s, the Irish made up the vast majority of the white population. This heritage remains central to Montserrat's identity today: it is the only place outside of Ireland where St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday, and the island’s flag and crest feature a woman with a harp, a classic Irish symbol.