City Celebrates Irish Heritage

Mayor Ted Bettencourt, members of the Division 11 and a small crowd of onlookers, all clad in some fashion of green, raised the Irish flag outside Thursday morning to celebrate Irish heritage in Peabody.

Bettencourt noted it was his first flag-raising ceremony -- during the course of the year he will raise several more flags in celebration of the city's various ethnic populations -- and offered brief remarks before reading the official proclamation for Irish-American Heritage Month.

Bettencourt said one hallmark of Peabody, which he is truly proud of, is its diverse ethnic heritage, thanks to the many immigrants who have poured their time and energy into the city over the years.

That's none more true than with the Irish community, he said, noting a number of elected officials past and present trace their ancestral roots back to Ireland.

The AOH also hosts its annual corned beef dinner this Saturday on St. Patrick's Day.