March is Irish-American Heritage Month

[SiobhanClancy]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

More than two centuries ago, our founders envisioned a new Nation, a land free from tyranny and filled with oppor-tunity, prosperity, and liberty for all. Many Irish people, faced with severe hardship in their homeland, embraced the dream of a more promising future and left behind Ireland's shores, their fami-lies, and their friends for a new beginning in America. Each year during the month of March, we celebrate these courageous men and women of Ireland and remember with pride their many contributions to our Nation.


With strength, courage, wit, and creativity, Irish Americans have flourished in our diverse Nation of immigrants. Writers such as Flannery O'Connor and Eugene O'Neill have transformed our literature; entrepreneurs like Henry Ford helped revolutionize American industry; performers such as Gregory Peck and Helen Hayes have enriched the arts; patriots such as Audie Murphy, our most decorated soldier of World War II, redefined the meaning of courage; and social reformers such as suffragist Leonora Barry and labor organizer Mary Kenney O'Sullivan fought for the rights of others. Generations of Irish Americans have worked alongside their fellow Americans to build a more perfect Union, and America is a stronger Nation because of them.


During his visit to Ireland in 1963, President Kennedy reminded us that "our two nations, divided by distance, have been united by history." Today, people on both sides of the Atlantic are united not only by history, but also once again by a dream of a better way of life. In the spring of 1998, the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland sought to make that dream a reality at home when they voted overwhelmingly in support of the Good Friday Accord. America remains committed to the Irish people as they continue working to forge a brighter future in their own land. The road ahead is long, but the promise of peace is still within reach, and its rewards are great. This month, as we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day and our shared heritage with Ireland, we remember as well our common love of liberty, commitment to progress, and quest for lasting peace, and we look toward a future as proud as our past.


NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March as Irish-American Heritage Month. I call upon all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.



WILLIAM J. CLINTON

[DarkPhenyx]

1. And nobody will pay attention to it.

No big banners on History Channel. No political leaders giving big speaches about the contributions of Irish-Americans. There will be a resounding silence about it.

Why?

It isn't a group you can effectively suck up and pander to.

[SiobhanClancy]

2. You're right...

sad but true. People will drink their green beer on St. Patrick's Day and that will be the end of it:(

[DarkPhenyx]

3. *raises pint of non-green beer*

Erin Go Brah!

[Padraig18]

4. I've never drunk a drop of green beer in my life...

That has to be one of the silliest 'traditions' I've ever run across... :(

[SiobhanClancy]

5. Good for you...

I've never touched it myself...it's a VERY silly Plastic Paddy "tradition",you are quite right.

[mac56]

24. "Plastic Paddy"

is a perfect phrase for it. I've never heard that before.

[DarkPhenyx]

25. That and it ruins a perfectly good beer.

Green food dye indeed!

[VelmaD]

7. I know it's all meant in good fun...

but it's still annoying.

On the up side, at least you know which beer to avoid 'cause they always put the green dye in the crappy beer anyway. :)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

9. Blech! I agree-green beer is usually Coors with food dye

and who the hell would drink coors? Life is too short to drink crappy beer! :puke:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

11. Rose, you're absolutely right

My late father, used to call Coors, "Rocky Mountain Goat Piss". He wouldn't allow it in the house because Coors was and probably still is non-union.

[Maeve]

20. Anything pale enough to color green

Is classed in our house as "canoe beer" (like making love in a canoe; it's f##$ing close to water!)
Slainte! :beer:

[Nevernose]

10. You take that back!

There is NOTHING silly about drinking beer! :D

Besides, I've never even stopped to check the color before drinking...

[jonnyblitz]

14. I dye my mohawk green.

:P

[SiobhanClancy]

21. and what I wouldn't give....

to see that:)

:hi:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

8. I don't drink green beer

on Paddy's Day. The old man and I will get up early that morning to go watch the live coverage of the All-Ireland Club Hurling and Football Finals from Croke Park in Dublin and then probably go out later that afternoon to have some craic.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. Claims of Irish ancestry are second only to German in the US

I think it's amazing that the majority of Irish arrived between 1845-1848, and thirty years later, they were deeply involved in politics and running some of the largest cities in America.

[Shopaholic]

12. Hey--we weren't going to get screwed like we did back in Ireland!

The Irish got so heavily involved in politics exactly because of what had happened to them back in Ireland. We weren't going to make that same mistake twice!

[H2O Man]

13. ten minutes ago...

...I finalized orders for printing my new book, "From Glenagore to Guilford," the story of how the Irish immigrant workers on the canals and railroads of central NYS changed the WASP culture. My family came from the Old Sod in waves common to many other families; you get a job, save some $, help the next wave come over and get set up. I have the family bible, old tin types & photos from Glenagore, County Limmerick, my great-great grandfather's walking stick, etc. St. Patrick's Day should be taken very seriously by Irish-Americans. It's surely not about drinking beer. At least not too much beer.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

18. Let me know when your book comes out

New York had Tammany Hall. As you know, the Irish have been entrenched in Massachusetts politics for just as long. It is only in the last few decades that other groups (Italian, Greek, Latino, African American) have begun to make inroads into Boston politics.

[CBHagman]

27. I'm with you there.

Congratulations on your book! I know it's a lot of work.

I'm in the midst of working on the genealogy of my Irish ancestors and planning to document their lives in Scranton, PA, and Paterson, NJ. A book on the Irish immigrants of Paterson is due out this spring or thereabouts, and I'll have to locate a copy.

By the way, what are other DUers doing to observe this heritage month? My Irish friends used to say St. Patrick's Day was more a holy day than a party day.

[GOPisEvil]

15. It's all about the craic!

:beer:

My dad's mother is of Irish descent, and my favorite hangout here in town is a pub owned by honest-to-goodness Irishmen. There's a big music festival that starts St. Patrick's Day, so I might miss the festivities, but whereever I am, I'll have a Guinness instead of my usual beer. ;-)

[Bridget Burke]

16. So, how about some links?

Let's start with the University College Cork site: CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts). Massive amounts of information in original languages, much translated into English. Begins with the ancient heroes & martyrs, extends past Michael Collins (modern hero & martyr). //www.ucc.ie/celt/index.html

Ireland's History in Maps uses geography as its base. Good outline of history: www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/iremaps.htm

Irish History on the Web is a fine collection of sites: http://larkspirit.com/history/

The San Patricio soldiers (in the Mexican War) are a fascinating Irish-American story. The historical plaque is in Clifden, home of John Riley. www.connemara.net/history/sanpatricios1.php



It'll take quite a while to get through all this material!

[SiobhanClancy]

17. Thanks for posting those,Bridget

I'm very interested in the San Patricios(who are considered heroes by the Mexican people). I hope that people check out your links,and that they also keep up with what's going on in Ireland right now with the GFA etc.

[Maeve]

19. And for a touch of the language

May I recommend http://www.daltai.com/home.htm

Daltaí na Gaeilge means "students of the Irish language" and is a great resource for learning it. Also has links to other things Celtic and is the source of many of my sig-lines.

[greatauntoftriplets]

22. Raising a pint of Guinness in a toast!

Okay, hyperbole, it'd 8:30 a.m. and I am at work.

:toast:

[SiobhanClancy]

23. As my father always said...

it must be five o'clock somewhere!:)

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

26. Just pretend you're in Ireland

The time difference between Dublin and Chicago is 6 hours.