Fifteen years ago, the President of Ireland travelled to Portland’s Mount Calvary Cemetery to dedicate the Oregon Potato Famine Memorial and its iconic Celtic Cross. It had been nearly a century since an Irish leader of that stature had come to Oregon.

On Wednesday, December 13, 2023 the Portland Hibernian Society hosted a ceremony commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of that dedication at Mt. Calvary Cemetery (333 SW Skyline Blvd.). Father Jim Galluzzo shared a blessing composed for the occasion, Brian Ó hAirt sang a song in Irish, Ed Curtin recalled the words of JFK to the Oireachtas 60 years ago, Stewart White sang The Soldier’s Song and Skibereen and Tim Birr played the bagpipes.