Irish American 250
On Friday October 3, Irish America began the celebrations to honor the contributions of Irish Americans to the United States over the past 250 years. The first celebration was to honor Commodore John Barry Day and the 250th Anniversary of the United States Navy.
Keith Carney and the Ancient Order of Hibernians John Barry Division in Washington D. C. have been working with the Navy on a display to be introduced to the public on the 250th Anniversary of the Navy on the U.S. New Jersey. Prior to the Official Naval Celebrations, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians hosted an event to honor Commodore John Barry the United States Navy’s First Commissioned Officer. Special Guests at the event included Her Excellency Geraldine Byne Nason, Irish Ambassador to the United States; Honorable Gary Laffan Lord Mayor of Wexford, Ireland; and Marshal Spevak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial.
Commodore John Barry
County Wexford has an important relationship with Irish America. Commodore Barry was born in Ballysampson, and President John F. Kennedy’s ancestral home is in New Ross. The Lord Mayor of Wexford, Gary Laffon, received a warm American welcome and was given a great tour of Philadelphia by LAOH Pennsylvania State President Carolyn Killion. Carolyn is also a Board Member of the John Barry Club, which hosted a fantastic lunch and tour of their remarkable club and library.
Clare McManus Fulginiitti of the LAOH Div 39 in Philadelphia worked on a wonderful journal to commemorate the event. To remember all the Irish and Irish Americans who have served our Country for the last 250 Years, a wreath was throwed into the Delaware River by LAOH National President Mary Ann Lubinsky, AOH National Director Ed Doughtery and Consul General of New York Gerald Angley.
In addition to the AOH and LAOH, leaders from other Irish organizations in attendance were Peter Kissel from the Irish Unity Conference and Dennis Brownlee from African American Irish Diaspora Network. This event was truly for all Americans of Irish Ancestry.
All Americans of Irish Heritage are responsible for telling our stories on the contributions of the Irish in the history of the United States. Irish America 250 was started by Kevin Sullivan from Washington D.C. to make sure that the role of the Irish will be remembered as we celebrate this milestone in American history. Irish America 250 National Committee Members include authors, professors, publishers, ambassadors and leaders of national Irish organizations. Please visit IrishAmerica250.org for more information.
The theme of the 2026 Cleveland’s St. Patrick Day Parade is “Celebrating 250 Years of Irish and Irish American Contributions to the Land of the Free.” In addition to the parade, I hope that the Irish community in Cleveland will present other events to honor this important part of our history and to remember the contributions of Irish America, especially the unsung Irish heroes that made Cleveland their home.
John Barry is just one of the examples of how Irish immigrants contributed to the beginning of our country with their service, sacrifice and leadership. All Americans of Irish ancestry should be reminded to be rooted in our heritage and committed to the American ideal. This is very important for future generations to carry out the legacy of faith, patriotism and dedication to both Ireland and America that were demonstrated by John Barry and so many other Irish immigrants.
