Mayor Adams Raises Irish Flag Honoring the First Irish Immigrants who Arrived in New York City

March 16, 2022

Video available at: https://youtu.be/PMnZ7Pf1C1w

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today raised the Irish flag with St. Patrick’s Day Parade officials at Bowling Green Park in honor of the first Irish immigrants who arrived in New York City. Elected officials and community members joined the flag-raising ceremony to kick off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and Mayor Adams reflected on New York City’s rich Irish history and contributions at the ceremony.

“New York City is a city of immigrants, rich in its culture and diversity, and our Irish brothers and sisters have contributed to our city’s history for generations,” said Mayor Adams. “This St. Patrick’s Day, we honor those Irish immigrants who relocated and helped build our city and the many Irish Americans who serve New York City to this day. Today, we celebrate the fighting spirit of the Irish with the courage and resilience of this entire city.”

“Our Irish American communities are an integral part of our city, and have shaped New York’s rich history for generations,” said New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. “This St. Patrick’s Day, we honor the contributions of the first Irish immigrants at Bowling Green and recognize the vital role they played in paving the way for other immigrant communities. Our immigrant communities are the backbone of our city, and have always made New York the vibrant city that it is.”

“Our immigrant communities serve as an integral part of our City and our State,” said New York State Senator Leroy Comrie. “I join in recognizing Irish culture, heritage, and history in this Irish flag-raising ceremony and in our shared celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day throughout the City.”

“New York City would not be the same without the generations of Irish immigrants who have come to our city throughout our 400-year history”, said New York State Assemblymember Robert Carroll. “Irish immigrants started the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1762 and sparked a tradition that doesn’t just celebrate Irish culture but helped create a space for other immigrants to come to our great city and celebrate their own heritage. I commend Mayor Adams’ celebration of New York’s first Irish immigrants at Bowling Green today.”

“Irish immigrants have made an indelible mark on the history of New York, and especially in the Bronx,” said New York State Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz. “St. Patrick's Day is a wonderful opportunity to remember and celebrate the Irish heritage of so many New Yorkers, and I continue to welcome all who come to our city to start a new chapter in their lives and our history.”

“The mayor who ‘Gets Stuff Done’ is getting us off to a beautiful start on St. Patrick’s Day with the raising of the Irish flag. It is a tribute to the many Irish immigrants who fled poverty and hunger in search of a better life,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “It is a testament to the immeasurable contributions of Irish New Yorkers and to the very fabric of our city. It is a recognition that Irish Americans are part of and what makes us the greatest city in the world. We all owe a debt of gratitude to New York’s Irish American community, and we will celebrate all day.”

“Irish immigrants' rich culture and history is woven into the very fabric of our life here in the borough of Brooklyn and City of New York,” said New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte HermelynOn St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrate this culture, and honor Irish-Americans. I look forward to standing together with our Irish community as we celebrate St. Paddy’s Day.”

“The contributions of Irish immigrants to our city and our state are deeply felt to this day. Irish culture is a part of New York culture and by raising this flag we acknowledge the rich history of Irish immigrants in America,” said New York State Assemblymember Mike Cusick.  “As someone who is proud of my own Irish heritage I am glad to see this great tribute on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day.”

“I’m proud to represent District 1 in the City Council because it’s the oldest part of our city, meaning it was the first home to wave after wave of immigrants,” said New York City Councilmember Christopher Marte. “Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day here honors the Irish immigrants who made lower Manhattan their home, and whose contributions to our city we still benefit from.”

“During the month of March, we are all Irish and celebrate the rich history of the Irish people,” said New York City Councilmember Julie Menin. “As a significant proportion of New York City’s population, the Irish contributions to this city are insurmountable. If you took the Irish out of the history of New York, there would be no New York City as we know it. We will never forget Irish immigrants helping make New York City the greatest city in the world."

“I’m proud to represent District 1 in the City Council because it’s the oldest part of our city, meaning it was the first home to wave after wave of immigrants,” said New York City Councilmember Christopher Marte. “Celebrating St Patrick’s Day here honors the Irish immigrants who made Lower Manhattan their home, and whose contributions to our city we still benefit from.”

“We must never forget what Irish immigrants faced when they arrived here back in the 19th century. Our ancestors, like so many immigrant groups before and since, faced the ugliest sentiments and social and economic hardships our city had to offer. Through it all, Irish immigrants helped build New Amsterdam into New York City. Today, it’s easy to feel like we’ve been here forever,” said New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan. “But New York is a city of immigrants, and we should never forget where we came from. I’m proud to celebrate my Irish heritage, the long and remarkable history of the Irish in New York City, and the ongoing contributions of all immigrant communities to our story.”

“It is truly a great day for the Irish! Irish- Americans contributed so much towards making our country what it is today. They have made untold contributions in politics, industry, organized labor, literature, music, and art. I am proud to represent such a large Irish-American community in my district,” said New York City Councilmember Joann Ariola.

Council Member Kamillah Hanks, “The contributions of our Irish American neighbors, especially on Staten Island, cannot be emphasized or celebrated enough. As a native Staten Islander, I am grateful to have been immersed in the rich Irish culture present in our borough, and as councilmember, I am proud to represent tens of thousands of Irish Americans in my own district."

"New York City has a rich Irish history and I'm so glad that Mayor Adams is honoring that history by raising the Irish flag at Bowling Green Park. Irish-Americans and immigrant communities more broadly have had an in immense impact on our city, and we should fully honor their history and legacy while looking towards the future,” said New York City Councilmember Rita Joseph.

“St. Patrick’s Day is an important holiday for people with Irish heritage across the world and especially here in New York City. The culture and contributions of Irish-Americans to our City and to Staten Island are beyond reckoning, and it is fitting that we raise the Irish flag at Bowling Green to honor Irish immigrants who came to America and made incalculable contributions to our country,” said New York City Councilmember David Carr.

“Bowling Green’s rich history dates back to the very founding of New York City in the 1600s. Like so many others, immigrants came to what is now Bowling Green Park in search of a better life,” said Arthur Piccolo, president, Bowling Green Association. “Mayor Eric Adams raising the Irish flag today on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day is a reminder of the vast contributions Irish immigrants have made to our great city.”

“Thursday will mark a new beginning for New York City and the country as we host the first major celebration since the pandemic started in 2020 — the 261st New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade on Fifth Avenue,” said Hilary Beirne, chairman and parade chief administrative officer, St. Patrick’s Day Parade Foundation. “We dedicate the parade to labor and the victims of the pandemic. The parade, like spring, which is just around the corner, will mark the renewal of life in the city post-pandemic. We look forward to greeting everyone on Fifth Avenue in the greatest parade in the world, which is in the greatest city in the world, as a sign of a new beginning,”

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