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Freehold Honors Springsteen's Irish Roots
30 Jun
Summary
- A copper beech tree will be planted in Freehold, NJ.
- The tree symbolizes the twinning of Freehold and Rathangan, Ireland.
- Rathangan is the ancestral home of Bruce Springsteen's family.
A copper beech tree is set to be planted at the Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold, New Jersey, on Thursday, July 2. This planting signifies the official twinning of Freehold with Rathangan, a town in County Kildare, Ireland. This ceremony will be attended by Freehold Mayor Kevin Kane, delegates from Rathangan, and members of the Springsteen family.
Rathangan holds particular importance as it is the ancestral home of Bruce Springsteen's family. His great-great-grandmother, Ann Garrity, emigrated from Rathangan to Freehold in 1852. The chosen copper beech tree is symbolic, mirroring a tree planted in Rathangan and one that once stood in front of the Springsteen family home in Freehold. This initiative also serves as a broader tribute to Irish immigrants who arrived in Freehold after the famine.
Further strengthening the connection, Rathangan delegates will participate in Freehold's annual reading of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, July 4. Plans are also underway for the "My Hometown: The Bruce Springsteen Story Center" in Freehold, a museum and event space dedicated to the legendary musician's life and roots. This project is a collaboration between the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University and Freehold.
