An Irish American celebration and flag raising ceremony is being held on Tuesday, March 21, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the Bergen County Administration Building in Hackensack.
The public is invited to the event, which is presented by Bergen County Executive James Tedesco and the Board of Chosen Freeholders in partnership with the Council of Irish Associations of Greater Bergen County, the Bergen Irish Association and the Rutherford Irish American Association.
“Don’t stop with just St. Patrick’s Day! Come Celebrate Irish American Heritage Month with the County of Bergen,” Tedesco said on Facebook.
The Bergen County Administration Building is located at 1 Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack.
National Irish-American Heritage Month
March is Irish-American Heritage Month, established in 1991 by Congress to mark the contributions that Irish immigrants and their descendants have made to U.S. society. About a million people immigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in 1850 during the Irish Potato Famine.
President Joe Biden participated in a virtual bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Micheál Martin Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz/Public Domain)
The designation includes a tradition dating to 1952 with the Irish Prime Minister — also known as the Taoiseach — coming to Washington, D.C.
On Friday, March 17, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar presented President Joe Biden with the customary bowl of shamrocks. This is the first in-person meeting for the Irish custom in three years due to the pandemic.
The White House dyed the South Lawn fountain green for the occasion. An evening reception at the White House is also planned with Varadkar, Biden, and other U.S. and Irish dignitaries.
The South Lawn fountain was dyed green Thursday, March 14, 2019, in celebration of the visit of the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks/Public Domain)
The White House was actually designed and built by Irish immigrant James Hoban. He oversaw the initial construction, rebuilding after it was burned down during the War of 1812. He added renovations until his death in 1831.
NJ Irish-American Heritage Month
N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy officially designated March as Irish American Heritage Month in the state. About 1.3 million people claim Irish ancestry in N.J., according to the governor’s office.
“The culture of our country would be much poorer if not for the Irish who came to our shores, and the generations of Irish people who have shaped New Jersey and our nation – with humility, faith, generosity, and warmth. As an Irish-American, I am proud to establish Irish-American Heritage Month in New Jersey,” Murphy said. He signed the joint resoluton in September 2022.
Primary sponsors of AJR63 include Senators Patrick Diegnan and Steven Oroho, and Assembly members Daniel Benson, Wayne DeAngelo, and Carol Murphy.
