The Commodore Barry Club of Brooklyn joined at Borough Hall with Deputy Borough President Ed Burke, Assemblyman Michael Cusick, and members of the community to parade down Hyatt Street and lay the ceremonial wreath on Staten Island Borough Hall.
Deputy Borough President Ed Burke presented the Commodore Barry Club of Brooklyn with a proclamation declaring the day 'Commodore John Barry Day' saying: “Staten Islanders honor John Barry as a hero of the Revolution – the Father of the American Navy, a symbol of Irish-American pride and an inspiration to today’s citizens of all backgrounds. We are grateful to those famous patriots who, throughout history, have protected our shores, upheld freedom and defended liberty.”
Commodore John Barry, an Irish immigrant who left his homeland of Wexford, Ireland as a young child to embark on a maritime journey, settled in Philadelphia in 1776 and became a renowned and much admired sea captain. During the American Revolution, John Barry fought valiantly to defend the Colonies’ cause of liberty. In 1793, he was named Senior and First Commissioned Officer in the Navy with the title of Commodore by President George Washington. With that, he is known as the father of the American Navy.