Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day during New Jersey’s first annual Irish-American Heritage Month

For the first time in state history, New Jersey is officially recognizing March as Irish-American Heritage Month.

The celebration, which will take place annually in the Garden State, results from a joint resolution Senators Steven Oroho and Patrick Diegnan sponsored that Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law last fall.

Irish-American Heritage Month recognizes the contributions of Irish-Americans to New Jersey’s economic prosperity and culture.

Approximately 32 million people in the United States and 1.3 million people in New Jersey claim Irish ancestry.

The youngest of seven children, Diegnan was born to parents who experienced the Great Depression firsthand after emigrating from Ireland in the late 1920s.

“As the son of Irish immigrants, I know firsthand the contributions of the Irish,” Diegnan said. “Irish immigrants are the embodiment of the American Dream. Irish-American Heritage Month will honor the values of the Irish and celebrate their unique impact on our country.”

Murphy, who is also an Irish-American, said he is proud to establish Irish-American Month in the Garden State.

“For centuries, the Irish have settled in this country seeking the American Dream, and through their hard work, America prospered,” Murphy said.

“The culture of our country would be much poorer if not for the Irish, who came to our shores, and the generations of Irish people who have shaped New Jersey and our nation with humility, faith, generosity, and warmth.”