To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Irish rebellion for independence, the City Council will designate the municipal staircase known as “Step Street,” in Maspeth as “Easter Rising Way” on Saturday, Nov. 12.
The street co-naming ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m., will feature Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, Councilman Daniel Dromm, state Senator Joseph Addabbo, Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones, and chair of Community Board 2 (CB 2) Denise Keehan-Smith.
There will also be a keynote address by Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, the oldest political movement in Ireland, who will speak about the Easter Rising rebellion, in which the Irish people rose up and fought for their independence from Great Britain.
“Step Street” is located near 53rd Avenue and 64th Street, and sits on the Maspeth Plateau, which is the highest ground in western Queens and provides a view of the Manhattan skyline and Calvary Cemetery.
Since 1848, Calvary Cemetery has been the final resting place for many deceased Irish Americans and a cherished location for monuments celebrating Irish contributions to American history, including the Fenian Monument, erected by veterans of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
