Senate Resolution No. 519 BY: Senator KAVANAGH MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2025, as Irish American Heritage Month in the State of New York WHEREAS, From America's earliest days, Irish immigrants and their descendants have contributed leadership, public service, wisdom, and vitality to America, with nine signers of the Declaration of Independence and twenty-three Presidents of the United States having Irish roots and countless Irish Americans having made an indelible mark on the great State of New York through service as public officials and civil servants, legislators, mayors, and Governors, including Governor Kathy Hochul, the 57th Governor of the State New York; and WHEREAS, Throughout their long history, the Irish have been ardent in their passion for liberty and their hatred of oppression, and renowned for their loyalty, and thus, the Irish have, from the beginning, been prominent in the defense of American ideals and the American nation, with 20 of George Washington's generals and an estimated quarter of his Army being composed of Irish Americans, among them Timothy Murphy, a hero of the pivotal battle of Saratoga, New York; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have distinguished themselves ever since, whenever their country has called on them, as typified in the storied "Fighting 69th," headquartered at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan, who fought with courage and distinction on the battlefields of the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the war in Iraq, and the conflict in Afghanistan, in which the first Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded to Navy Seal Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy of Smithtown, New York, who made the supreme sacrifice for his country; and WHEREAS, In the mid-19th Century, millions of Irish immigrants arrived in New York City, seeking refuge from famine and injustice in their homeland, and as a longstanding gateway for immigrants, New York has served as a beacon of hope and opportunity, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty and the "golden door" of Ellis Island, where the very first immigrant to arrive in pursuit of a new life in America was 15-year-old Annie Moore of Cork, Ireland; and WHEREAS, Irish immigrants and their descendants have played a vital role in shaping of great State - not only through the construction of the Erie Canal, railroads, buildings, and physical bridges, but also by forging bridges of knowledge and understanding among all people through the establishment of numerous schools, colleges, and universities, that have enriched every facet of the life of our State, leaving a lasting impact on generations of New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, Irish American women have a long and proud tradition of being visionaries and trailblazers, whether it be Annie Sullivan, the teacher of Helen Keller, crusading journalist Nelly Bly, or New York's own Colonel Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a Space Shuttle; and WHEREAS, Since 1762, Irish New Yorkers have been faithfully celebrating the feast of St. Patrick every March 17th, when they renew their connections to the land of their ancestry, pass on their traditions to the next generation, and share their pride through joyous festivities enjoyed by all New Yorkers irrespective of ethnicity; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have made an enduring impression upon every human endeavor in art, music, literature, science, film, dance, theatre, sports, education, law, finance, and politics and shall continue to embellish New York's shining future, with all the strength, resilience, humor, and hospitality of the Irish character; it is most fitting to set aside this month to highlight and honor the history and heritage of the Irish Americans and to remember and pay tribute to the contributions they have made to our State and our nation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2025, as Irish American Heritage Month in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York.