Irish-American Heritage Month was first celebrated in March of 1991. Its placement on the annual calendar coincides with St. Patrick’s Day, a national holiday that, despite the drunken revelry surrounding it, has great religious and cultural significance for the Irish-American community. Each year, the sitting U.S. President issues a proclamation, officially recognizing this heritage month and its importance.
Irish-Americans have impacted every aspect of our greater culture. From legendary artists like Gene Kelly and Kurt Cobain to directors and writers like Alfred Hitchcock and Kate Chopin, there’s no shortage of prominent Irish-Americans who’ve left their mark. But during this month, it’s an especially meaningful time to celebrate Irish-Americans who are further solidifying this community’s legacy.
In the media world, Elizabeth Vargas is a familiar face in primetime news. For years, she’s hosted 20/20, effectively combining hard-hitting journalism with entertainment and keeping women journalists front and center in mainstream news programming. She won an Emmy in 2001 for her work on World News Tonight. She has also hosted numerous ABC specials. All eyes are on her next move—she’ll be leaving ABC in May.
Tom Brady, the superstar New England Patriots quarterback, needs no introduction. He’s a historic player—one of only two players in NFL history to win five Super Bowl championships. Few would have predicted such success for Brady. He was a promising college prospect but was the 199th pick at the 2000 NFL Draft. He overcame the odds and became the key to the Patriots’ consistency.
And, in the business world, there’s John Leahy, the COO of Airbus, a major player in the aviation industry. Leahy joined Airbus in 1985 and was promoted to North American president by 1988. He was instrumental in selling Airbus aircrafts to Northwest and United Airlines. He planned to retire in January of this year but even after he steps down, his impact will still be felt for decades to come.
Irish-Americans have made game-changing contributions to American society, and this is a month in which we celebrate those achievements while looking ahead to the chapters of history that have yet to be written.
