In a joint venture with Irish America 250, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to celebrating the Irish role in U.S. history, Hibernians across Metropolitan New York gathered this President’s Weekend to honor two U.S. presidents with Irish roots.
On Saturday, members of the Nassau County Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) paid tribute to President Theodore Roosevelt with a wreath-laying ceremony at his family home, Sagamore Hill National Park. The ceremony, led by AOH Nassau County Board President Joe McDonald and Pipe Major Robert Lynch, included a wreath presentation by New York State Veterans Affairs Officer Sean Hood and AOH National Immigration Chair Dan Dennehy. Nassau County members in attendance included Patsy Furlong, Bill Doherty, Jim Henry, Mike Byrne, Tom Scanlon, Victor Sackett, Sean Hood, Sean Fallon, Andy Stafford, and Robert Lynch (piper).
On Sunday, New York County AOH President James Hamilton and the NYPD Pipes and Drums piper Pat McClintock led a ceremony honoring President Ulysses S. Grant and his Irish heritage. The event included a wreath-laying by New York State AOH President Thomas Beirne and National Immigration Chair Dan Dennehy, alongside County Board Officers Bill Lee, Brian FitzPatrick, Pete Dennehy, Chris Smith, and Tristan Betts.
These events were in conjunction with a similar event to underscore the Irish contributions to American history, honoring US Presidents , whose legacies are enriched by their Irish ancestry.