IA
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. J. RES. 401
Designating the months of March 1995 and March 1996 as ‘‘Irish-American
Heritage Month’’.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 11, 1994
Mr. MANTON introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
SEPTEMBER 30, 1994
Additional sponsors: Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey, Mr. AP-
PLEGATE, Mr. BACCHUS of Florida, Mr. BARCIA of Michigan, Mr.
BARRETT
of 
Wisconsin, 
Mrs. 
BENTLEY, 
Mr. 
BILIRAKIS, 
Mr.
BLACKWELL, Mr. BLUTE, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. BURTON of
Indiana, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. COYNE, Mr. CRANE, Mr.
DELLUMS, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. DREIER, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FISH, Mr.
FORD of Tennessee, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. GON-
ZALEZ, Mr. GORDON, Mr. HOAGLAND, Mr. HOKE, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr.
HOUGHTON, Mr. HYDE, Mr. JACOBS, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota,
Mrs. KENNELLY, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KING, Mr. KLEIN, Mr. KREIDLER,
Mr. LAZIO, Mr. LEHMAN, Mr. LEVY, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LIGHT-
FOOT, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr. MACHTLEY, Mrs. MALONEY,
Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. MCCLOSKEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr.
MEEHAN, Mrs. MEEK, Mr. MOAKLEY, Mr. MORAN, Mr. NEAL of Massa-
chusetts, Mr. OLVER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr.
QUINN, Mr. RAVENEL, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. ROYCE,
Mr. SABO, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SERRANO, Mr.
SHARP, Mr. SLATTERY, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. TANNER, Mr. TOWNS, Mr.
VALENTINE, Mr. VOLKMER, Mr. WALSH, Mr. WELDON, Mr. WYNN, Mr.
BERMAN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. EVANS, Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FROST, Mr. HAMILTON, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr.
INHOFE, Mr. LANCASTER, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr.
MONTGOMERY, Mr. MOORHEAD, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. MURTHA, Mr.
QUILLEN, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RICHARDSON, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. SWETT,
Mr. TORKILDSEN, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. VENTO, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. BE-
•HJ 401 CPH
VILL, Mrs. BYRNE, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr. CLINGER, Mr. DE
LUGO, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. FAZIO, Mr. HEFNER, Mr.
HUTTO, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. LEACH, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. MCDADE, Mr.
PALLONE, Mr. PARKER, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. PETERSON of Florida, Mr.
ROEMER, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SMITH of Iowa, Mr.
TAUZIN, Mrs. UNSOELD, Mr. WOLF, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. DE LA GARZA, Mr.
DUNCAN, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. KLINK, Mrs. LLOYD, Mr.
MCCOLLUM, Mr. NADLER, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. SARPALIUS, Mr.
TRAFICANT, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. YATES, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. COBLE,
Mr. GALLO, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER, Mr.
KANJORSKI, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. REED, Mr.
SHAYS, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr.
BILBRAY, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Ms. DUNN, Mr.
HASTINGS, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LEVIN,
Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr.
SANDERS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WA-
TERS, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Ms. FURSE, Mr. GEJDEN-
SON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KIM,
Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCHALE, Mr. MINETA, Mr. MYERS
of Indiana, Mr. POSHARD, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROSE, Mr. SHAW, Mr.
STOKES, Mr. STUDDS, Mr. WHITTEN, Mr. WILSON, Mr. YOUNG of Alas-
ka, Mr. ANDREWS of Maine, Mr. CALVERT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. ED-
WARDS of Texas, Mr. GLICKMAN, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. HALL of Texas,
Mr. HAMBURG, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. FRANK of Massachu-
setts, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas, Mr.
NEAL of North Carolina, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. SISISKY, Mr. SPENCE, Mr.
CHAPMAN, Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas, Mr. HOYER, Ms. MOLINARI, Ms.
PELOSI, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. TUCKER, and Mr. WATT
SEPTEMBER 30, 1994
The Committee on Post Office and Civil Service discharged; considered and
passed
JOINT RESOLUTION
Designating the months of March 1995 and March 1996
as ‘‘Irish-American Heritage Month’’.
Whereas 150 years ago, the blight that struck Ireland’s po-
tato crop (‘‘the single root that changed the history of
the world’’), known as the Great Famine, caused
2,000,000 of Ireland’s population to emigrate, mostly to
America’s shores;
•HJ 401 CPH
Whereas in 1847 alone, 25,000 Irish immigrants arrived in
Boston;
Whereas by 1851, the end of the famine exodus, 1,712 emi-
grant ships had sailed up the Narrows into New York
harbor;
Whereas during the ‘‘Great Hunger’’ (1845–1851) more peo-
ple left Ireland than had emigrated in the previous 250
years;
Whereas within a few years of their arrival in the United
States, these Irish immigrants took jobs as laborers, built
railroads, canals, and schools, dedicated themselves to
help build this Nation, and this same legacy remains a
part of today’s American mainstream;
Whereas James Smith, George Taylor, Matthew Thornton,
and Charles Thomson, 4 of the individuals who signed
the Declaration of Independence, were Irish born and 9
other signers were of Irish ancestry;
Whereas Irish-born James Hoban designed and supervised
the building of the White House and its restoration after
it was burned in 1814;
Whereas more than 200 Irish-Americans have been awarded
the Congressional Medal of Honor;
Whereas 19 Presidents of the United States proudly claim
Irish heritage, included among them, the first President,
George Washington;
Whereas John W. O’Beirne, Founder of the American Foun-
dation for Irish Heritage, first requested in 1990 that
Congress designate March as ‘‘Irish-American Heritage
Month’’; and
•HJ 401 CPH
Whereas the 44,000,000 Americans of Irish ancestry, like
their forebearers, continue to enrich all aspects of life in
the United States, in science, education, art, agriculture,
business, industry, literature, music, athletics, military
and governmental service: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the months of March 1995 and March 1996 are des-
ignated as ‘‘Irish-American Heritage Month’’. The Presi-
dent is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation
calling upon the people of the United States to observe
these months with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
Æ