Irish-American Heritage Month, 2015

Proclamation 9236 of February 27, 2015

Irish-American Heritage Month, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The vibrant culture and rich heritage of the Irish
people shaped many of the earliest chapters of
America's story. Our common values and shared vision
for the future laid the foundation for an eternal
friendship between Ireland and the United States, and
today, daughters and sons of Erin continue to enrich
our Nation. This month, we reaffirm the bonds of
affection between our two great countries, and we honor
the courage and perseverance of the Irish-American
community.

From ethereal green shores, generations of Irishmen and
women set out across an ocean to seek a new life in the
New World. Often without family or funds, these brave
souls put their faith in the ideas at the heart of our
democracy--that we make our own destiny, and if we work
hard and live responsibly, we can build a better future
for our children and grandchildren. Early immigrants
from Ireland shaped our founding documents, and in the
decades and centuries since, Irish-American heroes--
like the courageous members of the Fighting 69th--have
fought and died to protect a Government of, by, and for
the people.

Today, tens of millions of Americans proudly trace
their heritage to the Emerald Isle. They are
descendants of our Founding Fathers, heirs to a
resilient spirit forged during the Great Hunger and
painful periods of discrimination, and the latest in a
long line of Irish Americans who have poured their
energy and passion into perfecting our Union. With grit
and determination, they have enhanced our communities,
bolstered our economy, and strengthened our Nation. And
their brogue continues to ring out from our halls of
government and every place people strive to make our
society more free, more fair, and more just.

The Irish story is one of hope and resolve--in it
Americans see our own dreams and aspirations. Our pasts
are bound by blood and belief, by culture and commerce,
and our futures are equally, inextricably linked.
During Irish-American Heritage Month, let us celebrate
the people-to-people ties between our nations and
continue together our work to forge a brighter tomorrow
for every American and Irish child.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim March 2015 as Irish-
American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to
observe this month with appropriate ceremonies,
activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.