A new initiative, ShamROCK Chicago 2013, has launched a petition to have the Windy City officially dubbed “the” United States headquarters for St. Patrick’s Day.
The group, made up of distinguished Council of Chicago and civic leaders with strong Irish ties, plan to highlight the city’s Irish pride by presenting their petition to Aidan Cronin, the Consul General of Ireland, before St. Patrick’s Day.
Mick O’Rourke, President and CEO of Signature Bank and ShamROCK Chicago Council member said, “More than any other city in the United States, Chicago exemplifies Irish pride. ShamROCK Chicago is an ideal opportunity for all Chicagoans to show their green pride and build community goodwill.
“By encouraging people in the city and beyond to affirm Chicago as the ‘U.S. headquarters of St. Patrick’s Day,’ it will demonstrate to the rest of the country our dedication to promoting our strong Irish ties.”
Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are known around the world. Since 1962 the city has shown their dedication to being “Irish for the day” by dying the Chicago River green. However they may have some competition in winning the title for the St. Patrick’s Day HQ in the US with New York, Boston, and San Antonio also boasting of world famous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Read more: Irish to lobby U.S. Congress to have St Patrick’s Day as national holiday
Jeremy Hogan a spokesman for ShamROCK Chicago said “While other cities might claim older traditions or greater Irish populations, we can safely say that nobody outside of Dublin celebrates St. Patrick’s Day like Chicago does. Thanks to our city’s strong Irish ties and beloved traditions, Chicagoans and visitors from all over anticipate the nearly week long celebration in our city that they can’t find anywhere else.”
It remains to be seen what kind of competition they find from the strong Irish and Irish American communities across the United States. In fact, Scituate, a pleasant seaside town thirty miles from Boston, was named the “most Irish” town in the United States in 2011.
Nevertheless the petition is now live on the ShamRock Chicago 2013 site.
As well as naming Chicago the United States HQ for St Paddy’s day those working as part of the initiative, prominent Chicago business people will promote the effort throughout their communities. These include Tom Boyle of Chicago Gaelic Park, Seamus Byrne of Ireland Network Chicago, and Michael Clune of Clune Construction, to name but a few.
For more information on their initiative visit www.shamROCKchicago2013.com.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Mairin67 | Jan 16, 2013, 07:31 PM EST
Um...some of you Chicago experts...it's Daley not Daly. Really?
Mairin67 | Jan 16, 2013, 07:26 PM EST
I'm from Chicago and this is a stupid discussion. Why does there have to be any headquarters? Each city has their own unique Irish history. I will sat that Chicago would be a fine "headquarters" if there has to be one. There is a huge Irish population (you know actual Irish people here from the actual country of Ireland) and the Irish entertainment scene in Chicago is second to none. But if you have to have a headquarters, just give it NY since they have to be #1 in everything and Chicago doesn't feel the need to be in the spotlight. Savannah?...Whatever!
Scrivner | Jan 15, 2013, 02:57 PM EST
Wounded Knee, your geographical knowledge is crimped by an eastern perspective--tumbleweeds never rolled over the area that is now Chicago. Tumbleweeds "grow" on the plains not the prairie. The choice of Chicago for the HQ (note that the committee is NOT claiming sole position) makes so much sense: 1. A transportation hub, O'Hare is a palace compared to LaGuadia or Logan. 2. Enthusiasm, as others have pointed out the city dyes its river kelley green and there is so much spirit that there are not one, but two parades. 3. Sure, Chicago is the current murder capital, but let those who feel nostalgic for "The Troubles" enjoy the atmosphere. 4. Harp579 feels that other Chicagoans dislike Irish, but that's not true, on St Patrick's Day EVERYONE tries to be Irish in Chicago!
Stiofain | Jan 12, 2013, 11:12 PM EST
All right then,how about Butte,Montana?!
jflanagan | Jan 12, 2013, 09:16 PM EST
NYC had the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1762 and Savannah, GA was in 1813, Chicago, IL started in 1843. There are others with longer running parades than Savannah but theirs is considered 2nd largest and most spectacular by most.
TheOldPerfessor | Jan 12, 2013, 07:16 PM EST
Are they kidding? It would have to be my city of New York or that other city north and east of us who lives in our reflected glory. Savannah I'd concede is right on our heels.
WoundedKnee | Jan 12, 2013, 03:32 PM EST
The obvious candidate is Savannah GA. Savannah had a hundred years of Irish heritage when Chicago was still a frozen clump of tumbleweed on the prairie.
WoundedKnee | Jan 12, 2013, 03:30 PM EST
Domer: You are quite wrong in your claim that the Dublin parade goes back only to the early 1980s. It is much older than that.
joan1954 | Jan 12, 2013, 12:22 PM EST
The cheek of them thinking they could claim the day here in the United States.
harp579 | Jan 12, 2013, 12:21 PM EST
Rando573, "If Irish - Catholic Americans are not liked in Chicago then how would you explain multiple generations of Mayors named Daly?" I've lived there. Mayors with Irish names were selected as they were less feared overall than other nationalities, not because they were liked. To the contrary, they were disrespected the most and therefore presented the lesser threat to the majority of voters. . . . At times they've lost the overall white vote but won because blacks and other minorities feared the alternatives more. . . . BTW I say this as a life-long Democrat whose parents were both Irish-Catholic who were born and raised in Ireland.
torbreezy | Jan 12, 2013, 11:54 AM EST
Are you kidding ME? It must be a slow-news day or an attempt to ? ? ? ?
randyo573 | Jan 12, 2013, 11:53 AM EST
If Irish - Catholic Americans are not liked in Chicago then how would you explain multiple generations of Mayors named Daly? Also if that actually were the case, then the city government would probably not allow the river to be dyed green. Although I have no actual documentation, I have heard that the second largest St Patrick's Day parade in the US is actually in Savannah, Georgia and the second largest St Patrick's Day parade in North America is in Montreal, Canada. Being from New York, I'm sure the Ancient Order of Hibernians which in effect runs NY's St Patrick's day parade would have an issue with the selection of Chicago.
harp579 | Jan 12, 2013, 10:46 AM EST
St. Patrick day parades are counter productive for Americana with an Irish heritage as it marginalizes them/us. It relegates us to a second class citizenship and engenders hostility from those who see us as trying to separate from the larger American culture. Chicago Irish Americans are particularly stupid in this regard (or manipulated by the professional "Irish" more likely) as they have two big St. Patrick day parades and even dye the river green. And Americans with Irish-Catholic heritage are not liked in Chicago. Not a coincidence.
kelauggie1 | Jan 12, 2013, 10:37 AM EST
Great idea - make the murder capitalk of the US the official St. Patrick's Day city. The theme could be: "Shoot me, I'm Irish".