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There may be no one more eligible among our elected officials to wish everyone in the Tri-Valley a Happy St. Patrick's Day than Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty.

In this photo, he greets several thousand spectators at last Saturday's Dublin St. Patrick's Day parade along with his wife Rhonda and son Sean.

Scott Haggerty's Irish ancestors hail from Cork County in Ireland. The largest county on the Emerald Isle, in Cork County, three things are taken very seriously, according to the supervisor: sports, food and politics. This may explain many things about Haggerty who has served on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors representing Tri-Valley communities for the past 13 years.

"My dad was the Irish in the family and I have many great memories from St. Patrick's Days of past," said Haggerty. "I've been told that when my ancestors immigrated here the family name was originally O'hegerty. After their arrival in the U.S., and like so many immigrant families, O'hegerty evolved into Haggerty."

Descended from immigrants, Haggerty said he has a deep appreciation for the contributions of those that come to this country seeking to work towards a better life for themselves and their families.

"I encourage my children to learn about and enjoy the best of their Irish heritage," he said. "My daughters learned Irish dance and I always enjoy watching them perform. And riding in the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade and all the related festivities has become a fun tradition that the entire family looks forward to each year."

Haggerty lives in Dublin (California, that is), a fitting place for an American descendant of a Cork County O'hegerty.

-Jeb Bing

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