Honoring John J. Dougherty on his selection as the Grand Marshal of the 242nd Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

WHEREAS, The Dougherty family emigrated from County Donegal at the turn of the 20th century and settled in the South Philadelphia community of Pennsport; and

WHEREAS, As the oldest of three children born to John and Theresa Dougherty, John was raised in a house where he lived with 11 aunts and uncles, all of whom had come to the United States from their beloved Ireland; and

WHEREAS, John raised his daughter Erin in the very same house where he grew up and lives not far from his place of birth. This may be why one of John's favorite quotes is “The best way to never forget where you come from is to never leave”; and

WHEREAS, In addition to being one of Philadelphia's most well-known and respected labor leaders, John's love of Ireland has led to a lifetime of commitment to Irish causes, including his assistance in building and the maintenance of the National Irish Famine Memorial, his service on the board of the St. Patrick's Day Observance Association, his support of the Maynooth Society, which raises funds to support St. Patrick's College, Ireland's national seminary and his efforts to raise significant donations for Sinn Fein in his quest to assist in the peace process for Northern Ireland; and

WHEREAS, John's union, IBEW Local 98, has also been a long-time lead sponsor of the Saint Patrick's Day parade. Local 98, under John's guidance, has also been instrumental in upgrading the electrical systems of numerous Catholic schools and churches in Philadelphia and also in awarding hundreds of scholarships to deserving students, many of whom are of Irish descent; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of his hard work and dedication to these many causes, John has been inducted into the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame and was named one of the “Top 50 Irish-American Labor Leaders” in the United States by the Irish Echo national newspaper; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor and congratulate John J. Dougherty on his selection as the Grand Marshal of the 242nd Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to John J. Dougherty, further evidencing the grateful appreciation and deep admiration of this legislative body.

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