Bill > SR87

Introduced Session

This Senate resolution recognizes the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland. On October 7, 1924, 100 years ago, Ireland formally opened diplomatic relations with the United States of America when Irish Ambassador Timothy Smiddy performed the presentation of credentials to President Calvin Coolidge. The United States was one of the first nations to recognize the new Irish state following the Irish people's long and painful struggle for independence. When Ambassador Smiddy emerged from the White House, he had become Ireland's first ambassador to any country in the world. The already established and deep connection of the Irish people to the United States made it appropriate that the first dispatch of an Irish representative was to Washington D.C. Approximately 32 million people in the United States and 1.3 million people in New Jersey today claim Irish ancestry. Irish immigrants helped build the America known to the world today, from the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the transcontinental railroad to our modern political system. Irish people have made an enormous contribution to public debate and politics in America, from their local communities to the White House. More than twenty American Presidents have claimed some Irish ancestry. The influence of Irish-Americans extends well beyond the Oval Office and the United States Capitol to every state of the nation. This fact being most evident by the significant number of State legislators in the American Irish State Legislators Caucus. Since Timothy Smiddy's presentation of credentials 100 years ago, an additional 18 Irish Ambassadors have presented credentials to United States Presidents. Over this time, the relationship between Ireland and the United States has progressed significantly. Ireland has transformed into the economically prosperous, culturally vibrant, and peaceful nation it is today. This transformation is due to the support of friends in the United States, from the crucial role America played in brokering peace in Northern Ireland, culminating with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, to the substantial American economic investment in Ireland. America and Ireland have a two-way prosperous economic relationship as there are almost 1,000 American companies in Ireland employing over 200,000 people and almost 650 Irish companies in America employing over 100,000 people. The American-Irish relationship is a shining example of how ancestral ties, historical connections, cultural affinities, and shared values can create a foundation for an enduring partnership and mutual prosperity. Irish-American State legislators in New Jersey and across the United States are playing a vitally important role in fostering this partnership and ensuring that it continues and flourishes for another century to come.

Committee Categories

Jim Beach (D)*,  Patrick Diegnan (D), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 03/18/2024)

Official Document