Address to Irish Parliament, Dublin, 28 June 1963
This folder contains materials collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, concerning President Kennedy's address to the Oireachtas Éireann, the national parliament of Ireland, at Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland. In his speech the Presid...
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OCR Page 1 of 48FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 28, 1963
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OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
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(Dublin, Ireland)
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
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TO A JOINT SESSION OF THE DAIL, AND SEANAD, EIREANN
LEINSTER HOUSE, DUBLIN, IRELAND
(AS ACTUALLY DELIVERED)
Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister, Members of the
Parliament: I an grateful for your welcome and for that of
your countrymen.
The 13th day of September, 1862, will be a day
long remembered in American history. At Fredericksburg,
Maryland, thousands of men fought and died on one of the
bloodiest battlefields of the America Civil War. One of the
most brilliant stories of that day was written by a band of
1200 men who went into battle wearing a green sprig in their
hats. They bore a proud heritage and a special courage, given
to those who had long fought for the cause of freedom. I am
referring, of course, to the Irish Brigade. General Robert
E. Lee, the great military leader of the Southern Confederate
forces, said of this group of men after the battle, "I'ne gal-
lant stand which this bold brigade made on the heights of
Fredericksburg is well known. Never were men so brave. They
enbloed their race bv their splendid gallantry on that des-
perate occasion. Their brilliant though hopeless assaults on
our lines excited the hearty applause of our officers and
soldiers.
Of the 1200 men who took part in that assault, 280
survived the battle. The Irish Brigade was led into battle
on that occasion by Brigadier General Thomas F. Meagher, who
had participated in the unsuccessful Irish uprising of 1848,
was captured by the British and sent in a prison ship to
Australia, from whence he finally came to America. In the
fall of 1862, after serving with discinction and gallantry
in some of the toughest fighting of this most bloody struggle,
the Irish Brigade was presented with a new set of flags. In
the city ceremony, the city chamberlain gave them the motto
"The Union, our Country, and Ireland Forever." Their old
ones having been torn to shreds by bullets in previous
battles, Captain Richard McGee took possession of these flags
on September 2nd in New York City and arrived with them at
the Battle of Fredericksburg and carried them in the battle.
Today, in recognition of what these gallant Irishmen and
what millions of other Irish have done for my country, and
through the generosity of the Fighting 69th, I would like to
present one of these flags to the people of Ireland.
As you can see, gentlemen, the battle honors of
the Brigade include Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, York-
town, Fair Oaks, Gaines Hill, Allen's Farm, Savage's Station,
White Oak Bridge, Glendale, Malvern Hills, Antietam, Getts-
burg, and Bristoe's Station.
I am deeply honored to be your guest in the Free
Parliament of a Firee Ireland. If this nation had achieved
its present political and economic stature a century or so
ago, my great grandfather might never have left New Ross,
and I might, if fortunate, be sitting down there with you.
Of course, if your own President had never left Brooklyn,
he might be standing up here instead of me.
bris
antop
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