66.0°,
A Few Clouds Locals honor Irish hero
June 19 is de Kay Day in Nassau County
Situated in the St. George’s Episcopal Church graveyard in Hempstead is the resting place of Commodore George de Kay, a hero of the Irish famine. A June 19 ceremony led by Nassau County Legislator Dennis Dunne, Comptroller George Maragos, Steven D. Rhoads of the Wantagh Ancient Order of Hibernians and others, was held to honor Commodore de Kay Day in Nassau County.
In 1847, at the height of the Irish famine, de Kay sailed off from New York harbor to Ireland on the USS Macedonian loaded with food and clothing for the suffering Irish. It is said by completing this mission of mercy, these supplies affected the lives of over 25,000 people in Ireland and Scotland. De Kay was given the title of Commodore about twenty years prior by the Argentine Republic for his bravery in their war against Brazil.
After the ceremony, the delegation stopped by the tombstone of Henry Eckford, a shipbuilder who constructed ships during the War of 1812.
Article written by East Meadow resident Bob Harrison
