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A RESOLUTION recognizing March 2024 as Irish American Heritage Month. 1
WHEREAS, from our country's earliest days, Irish immigrants and their 2
descendants have contributed leadership, wisdom, and vitality to not only Kentucky but 3
America as a whole. Through nine signers of the Declaration of Independence and 23 4
Presidents with Irish roots, Irish Americans have made an indelible mark in the shaping 5
of the great city of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky; and 6
WHEREAS, throughout their long history, the Irish have been ardent in their 7
passion for liberty and their hatred of oppression, and renowned for their loyalty. The 8
Irish have from the beginning been prominent in the defense of this nation. Twenty of 9
George Washington's generals and an estimated quarter of his Continental Army were 10
composed of Irish Americans. The first officer commissioned by Washington in the 11
newly formed Navy was an Irishman named John Barry, who became Commodore of the 12
Continental Navy; and 13
WHEREAS, in 1804, pirates had attacked the United States Navy and civilian ships 14
were kidnapped and imprisoned in Derne and Tripoli. When negotiations to pay a ransom 15
of $100,000 failed to gain their release and the American flag staff was cut down in front 16
of the United States Consulate, war was declared on Tripoli. On April 27, 1805, 17
Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon of Kentucky led a charge passing through a shower of 18
enemy gunfire and took possession of enemy batteries, posting an American flag on its 19
ramparts and turning the guns on the enemy. Victory was won in the ensuing two-hour 20
battle, and for the first time in United States history, an American flag flew over a 21
fortress of the Old World. O'Bannon's deeds are remembered in the Marine Corps Hymn 22
and the flag of the Corps, and the sword used in the dress uniform of the Corps is a copy 23
of the one presented to O'Bannon by Hamet, a chieftain and ally of the United States in 24
the Mediterranean. The final resting place of Lieutenant O'Bannon is the cemetery on the 25
hill overlooking our State Capitol in Frankfort; and 26
WHEREAS, Ralph Waldo Rose, born in Louisville in 1885 of Irish parents, 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2429
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attended the University of Michigan on scholarship to compete on the track team in the 1
shotput, discus, and hammer throw. In 1904, Rose competed in the Olympics in St. Louis 2
winning a gold, silver, and bronze medal in these events respectively. Rose was selected 3
by the 1908 Olympic Committee to carry the United States flag in the opening 4
ceremonies in the Summer Olympics in London. When passing King Edward the 5
Seventh, Rose broke tradition and refused to dip the flag to the British King. No United 6
States flag has ever been dipped to any monarch since; and 7
WHEREAS, on Election Day, August 6, 1855, in Louisville, Kentucky, numerous 8
Irish were among the immigrants who were brutally murdered. The crimes occurred as 9
the immigrants were trying to go to the polls to cast their ballots in attacks orchestrated 10
by a local political group known as the "Know Nothings," because they felt that the large 11
influx of immigrants would "undermine the American way of life"; and 12
WHEREAS, the Irish community of Louisville has a distinguished tradition of 13
sponsoring the St. Patrick's Parade on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, thereby 14
renewing their connections to the land of their ancestry as they pass along the traditions 15
of the Irish people to the next generation and celebrating their pride, heritage, and sense 16
of charity with the community irrespective of ethnicity; and 17
WHEREAS, a new Hibernian division was established in 2018 in Lexington and 18
named for the late Dr. Pearse Lyons, Irish founder of Alltech in Nicholasville, a large 19
employer in the Commonwealth and the first naming sponsor of the World Equestrian 20
Games when it came to the United States and to Kentucky for the first time in 2010, and 21
whereas the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Lexington, begun in 1980 and produced by the 22
city's Department of Parks and Recreation with support of local business and cultural 23
organizations, is the longest-running citywide civic event in the city; and 24
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper to celebrate the rich culture, heritage, and 25
valuable contributions of the Irish people during the month of March, when people of 26
Irish descent celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, on March 17; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2429
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NOW, THEREFORE, 1
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 2
Kentucky: 3
Section 1. Due to the overwhelming number of citizens within the 4
Commonwealth of Kentucky who are Irish or are descendants of Irish immigrants and the 5
tremendous contributions of Irish Americans to our nation, our Commonwealth, and our 6
communities, the Senate hereby recognizes March as Irish American Heritage Month for 7
Kentucky. 8
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 9
Resolution to Senator Julie Raque Adams for presentation. 10