[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 18 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED IRISH COUNTIES 
                              ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 2004

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of 
the United Irish Counties Association. The UICA represents people from 
all the counties of Ireland who came to the United States, helping 
those who were new to the country and encouraging fellowship among all, 
no matter where they came from in Ireland.
  Until the founding of UICA, most Irish people joined organizations 
representing their individual counties. What UICA did was give the 
whole immigrant community, and its children, a unified voice in Irish 
affairs and a broader ability to help newcomers.
  With the assimilation of the Irish into the mainstream of America, it 
meant that the Irish population was not only rising economically but 
spreading geographically. With the breakup of the old Irish 
neighborhoods, the UICA came into its own as a representative of Irish 
affairs.
  The growth and rise of the Irish immigrant community is a story of 
the success of America. The United States filled its broad spaces with 
the best from Europe then and the rest of the world now.
  Starting in the 1840s, and propelled by the terrible experience of 
the Great Famine, the Irish came to America, made it their own, and 
made it better. They overcame prejudice and poverty and within five 
generations elected one of their own as president. In many ways the 
Irish were the template of the immigrant waves which followed; arriving 
individually, coming together to help one another, and then taking 
advantage of the opportunities that this country offered.
  The United Irish Counties Association deserves much of the credit for 
this success, and for the continuing success of the Irish immigrants 
who still come to America, many to Woodlawn and Yonkers in my 
Congressional District. If America is ever to expand geographically 
again, I suspect that Ireland could be the 51st state.
  I congratulate the United Irish Counties Association for a century of 
growing by helping.

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