Irish-American Heritage Month 2027

About Irish-American Heritage Month

Irish-American Heritage Month looks at the long story of Irish immigration to the United States and at what Irish Americans have contributed in politics, labor, the arts, sport, religion and public service. March was a natural fit because it already held St. Patrick's Day, when cities across the country hold parades and many Americans with and without Irish roots celebrate.

Congress designated March 1991 as Irish-American Heritage Month in Public Law 101-418 and asked the president to issue a proclamation. President George H. W. Bush did so on March 12, 1991. His proclamation pointed to Irish-born figures from the nation's early years, including Commodore John Barry, the first naval commander commissioned by the Continental Congress, and the architect James Hoban, who designed the White House, as well as writers such as Eugene O'Neill.

The American Presidency Project and the Federal Register record an Irish-American Heritage Month proclamation for every year from 1991 through 2025, issued by presidents of both parties. Recent proclamations have recalled the immigrants who left Ireland during times of hardship and faced discrimination after arriving, and have noted the close ties between the two countries; the 2024 proclamation marked 100 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland.

The month is a commemorative observance, not a holiday. Libraries, Irish cultural centers, universities with Irish studies programs and local heritage societies use it for lectures, music, dance, genealogy workshops and film screenings alongside the St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Sources: American Presidency Project: Proclamation 6259, Irish-American Heritage Month, 1991, Federal Register: Proclamation 10704, Irish-American Heritage Month, 2024, Federal Register: Irish-American Heritage Month, 2025. How we check dates.

How to mark Irish-American Heritage Month

• Trace an Irish branch of your family tree using free records from the National Archives, a public library's genealogy databases, or Ireland's online civil and census records.
• Read a play by Eugene O'Neill or a novel by an Irish-American writer, and talk it over with a friend or book group.
• Attend a traditional Irish music session, a céilí dance or a talk at a local Irish cultural center.
• Learn a few phrases of the Irish language through a free course or app.
• Visit a museum or historic site that tells the story of Irish immigration, such as the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.

Irish-American Heritage Month dates