LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor David A. Paterson to
proclaim March 2009 as Irish American Heritage Month in the State of New
York

WHEREAS, From the earliest days of our great nation, America has
inspired the hopes and dreams of countless individuals from around the
world in search of a better life for themselves and their children; and
WHEREAS, They have come to share in our gifts of freedom, justice, and
opportunity and, in turn, our democracy and great diversity owe their
success in large part to these countless immigrants who made their way
to our shores; and
WHEREAS, Coming to this land even before our nation was founded, sons
and daughters of Erin undertook the perilous journey to make their home
in this place of hope and promise; they made inestimable contributions
to their new country; both during the struggle for independence and in
the founding of the republic; and
WHEREAS, Nine of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence
were of Irish origin and 19 Presidents of the United States proudly
claim Irish heritage, including our first President, George Washington;
and
WHEREAS, Later, those who came during the Great Famine of the 1840s
transformed our largest cities, helping to build them into dynamic
centers of commerce and industry; their cultural, economic, and spiritu-
al contributions continue to be evident today as well, all across the
land; and
WHEREAS, With strength, courage, wit, and creativity, Irish Americans
have flourished, making significant contributions in all areas of Ameri-
can life; writers such as Eugene O'Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and
George Bernard Shaw have transformed our literature; entrepreneurs like
Henry Ford helped revolutionize American transportation and industry;
performers such as Gregory Peck, John Wayne and Helen Hayes have
enriched the arts; and social reformers such as suffragist Leonora Barry
and labor organizer Mary Kenney O'Sullivan fought for the rights of
others; and
WHEREAS, Irish Americans have also served ably in their communities as
police and firefighters, and in numerous other capacities; in govern-
ment, including four-term New York State Governor Alfred E. Smith; and
in the Armed Services in every war in which this nation has ever fought,
including patriots such as Audie Murphy, our most decorated soldier of
World War II, who redefined the meaning of courage; and
WHEREAS, Today, approximately one in four Americans, and nearly 13
percent of all New Yorkers, trace their ancestry in part to Ireland's
green shores, generations of Irish Americans have worked alongside their
fellow Americans to build a more perfect Union, and America is a strong-
er nation because of them; and
WHEREAS, In March, when our nation proudly celebrates Irish American
Heritage Month and communities all across New York State and the country
celebrate St. Patrick's Day, it is fitting that we honor the rich herit-
age, enduring contributions, and firm values of the Irish Americans of
our State and nation who continue to enrich and strengthen our families,
our communities, our ideals and our character; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body, with great and just pride, pause
in its deliberations to memorialize Governor David A. Paterson to
proclaim March 2009 as Irish American Heritage Month in the State of New
York that present and future generations may appreciate the unique
significance of Irish Americans in the history and progress of our State
and nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable David A. Paterson, Governor of the State of New
York, and to the Meadowmere Park Civic Association, Meadowmere Park, New
York.