Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Presidential Documents 11925 

Proclamation 10343 of February 28, 2022 

Irish-American Heritage Month, 2022 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

For centuries, Irish Americans have played a crucial role in helping define 

the soul of our Nation, and today, nearly 1 in 10 Americans proudly trace 

their roots back to the Emerald Isle. With hope and faith in their hearts, 

the first immigrants from Ireland crossed the Atlantic in search of liberty 

and opportunity. It was the dream of a better life that brought my ancestors— 

the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth—and 

countless other Irish immigrants. 

Like so many Irish American families, my grandparents carried the spirit 

and memory of Ireland in their hearts—a pride and passion they instilled 

in their home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Through the journeys of their 

own mothers and fathers and in the lessons they passed on to my mother, 

Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, they joined Irish Americans in every 

corner of America in helping to write the next chapter of the American 

story. 

The story of Irish Americans has always been one of strength and perseverance through adversity. Many Irish immigrants arrived on America’s shores 

to escape the Great Famine, only to face discrimination, prejudice, and 

poverty. Despite these hard times, they embraced their new homes in every 

corner of America—from the Atlantic to the Pacific, across the Midwest 

and through the Rocky Mountains—and helped build and fortify our Nation 

into what it is today. 

Irish Americans expanded the American middle class, building ladders of 

opportunity that future generations could climb. They became teachers, firefighters, police officers, labor leaders, farmers, business owners, and more. 

Along the way, Irish Americans contributed enormously to the American 

labor movement—championing safe working conditions, advocating for children’s rights, and fighting racism, prejudice, and income inequality. They 

bravely answered the call to serve, defending our Union and its values 

in every battle. They continue to work on behalf of the American people 

as public servants—serving in the Congress, the Supreme Court, Federal 

agencies, the White House, and in State and local offices across the country. 

Irish Americans have enriched our culture and nourished our hearts and 

souls through the arts and humanities, earning recognition as Nobel and 

Pulitzer prize-winning poets and authors, award-winning musicians, storytellers, and dancers, and critically acclaimed actors. They have blessed our 

Nation with their indomitable spirit, faith, and love for family that has 

been passed down through the generations. This sense of community, hospitality, resilience, and passion are integral pieces of America’s cultural tapestry. 

The United States and Ireland are deeply and forever intertwined: linked 

in memory and imagination—in joy, sorrow, and resilience—by our common 

love and common dreams. We share, in every heart, an unrelenting optimism—a flicker of hope that guides us through even the darkest of nights. 

As we celebrate Irish-American Heritage Month, let us honor the journey 

and contributions of Irish Americans who helped shape this land of opportunity and define what it means to be American. Let us reaffirm the legacy 


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11926 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Presidential Documents 

of friendship and strong family ties between the United States of America 

and Ireland—united by our common purpose, by our histories, and by our 

futures. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2022 as 

Irish-American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to celebrate the 

achievements and contributions of Irish Americans to our Nation with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth 

day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-sixth. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04611 

Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F2–P 


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