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Irish petition to restore name of Fitzgerald Square in Alexandria

Elizabeth A. Elliott | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

An overview of the plans for the park in Old Town Alexandria is pictured. COURTESY

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Pictured is an overview of the area being renovated for King Street Park. COURTESY

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This site was formerly named Fitzgerald Square. The Ancient Order of Hibernians want the name to be permanent. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

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The Ancient Order of Hibernians want the name Fitzgerald Square to be permanent. ELIZABETH A. ELLIOTT | CATHOLIC HERALD

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The naming of a place can evoke memories of the person honored.
It can bring to mind the contributions of that individual to a family or to an
entire city.

 

Alexandria’s history is steeped in Irish heritage and John
Fitzgerald is a key figure — an Irish-American immigrant, founder of the
Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, the eighth mayor of the city, and
aide-de-camp to President George Washington.

 

From 2012 until this past March 17, his name was honored at the
Alexandria waterfront — Fitzgerald Square. The waterfront plaza was comprised
of Old Dominion Boat Club, King Street Park and the boat club parking lot.

 

Terry Riley, president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and
others were shocked at the removal of Fitzgerald’s name when the square was
redeveloped. It is now known as King Street Park at the Waterfront. 

 

Now, Riley and more than 1,000 people are fighting back with a
petition to “demand that the City Council of Alexandria and the Planning
Commission of Alexandria immediately restore the name Fitzgerald Square to the
waterfront project.” 

 

Riley said the decision to remove Fitzgerald’s name came out of
left field. “Who made this decision, and why is the million dollar question we
would like answered,” he said. “Why didn’t they leave the interim name as
Fitzgerald Square?”

 

Just weeks after President Donald Trump proclaimed March as Irish
American Heritage Month Feb. 28, Fitzgerald’s name was removed. “That sudden
action further confirms our concerns about the decision to remove Colonel Fitzgerald’s
name from waterfront project,” said Riley.

 

The change would not have sat well with Pat Troy, who died March
22. Troy was honored with a Living Legends of Alexandria award in 2010, was
involved in the Old Town Association, and served on the board of governors with
the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and the Alexandria Visitors Center.

 

“It was the wish of the late Pat Troy to uphold the name
‘Fitzgerald Square’ to honor the rich Irish heritage of Alexandria, especially
as it is connected to the basilica,” said John Lilly, director of
communications and evangelization at the basilica. “He fought hard to retain
the Irish heritage and identity of our town.”

 

The permanent name of the park has not been decided, according to
Jack Browand, division chief at City of Alexandria Recreation, Parks and
Cultural Activities.

 

“While the plan was adopted by City Council after extensive
public input, the name of the new park was a placeholder and not subject to the
type of focused public input normally involved in naming city parks and related
features,” he said.

 

“As a result, the city will solicit public input in the coming
months for the park’s permanent name, with a goal of using the selected name in
conjunction with the opening of the interim park this fall and continuing its
use during the flood mitigation phase and the reopening as a permanent park.”

 

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