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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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, of 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,”
Photo credit: Irish immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, New York City in 1915.
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