SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak in Scranton in March.

According to the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Lackawanna County, 42nd President Bill Clinton is set to be the principal speaker at their 118th dinner when it returns to the Electric City in two weeks.

According to a press release, in 1906 the Honorable Edward F. Blewett, President Biden’s great-grandfather, suggested a gathering on Saint Patrick’s Day to celebrate the the accomplishments of the Irish in America. Thus the “Irish American Association” was created, later renamed in 1939, the “Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Lackawanna County” and still stands today to serve as a reminder to younger generations of their Irish Heritage.

The Friendly Sons of St Patrick of Lackawanna County are thoroughly excited to welcome President Clinton back to the City of Scranton, and we are truly honored to welcome President Clinton as the Principal Speaker for our 118thannual Dinner. During his time in the Oval Office, President Clinton was one of the most powerful forces of compromise between the parties in Northern Ireland, and the President’s efforts ultimately ushered in the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998. President Clinton’s work and legacy in Northern Ireland make him a special choice to keynote our dinner, and with the President’s personal insights and powerful historic experiences, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County will enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day to remember in Scranton.”

Daniel Haggerty of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Lackawanna County

Organizers announced Friday that The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick’ of Lackawanna County’s dinner is scheduled for Saturday, March 16 at the Scranton Cultural Center located at 420 N. Washington Avenue in Scranton.

The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Lackawanna County dinner will make a return to Scranton in 2024, after a one-time relocation to a Luzerne County venue last year.

Throughout President Clinton’s Administration, he was involved in the peace-making process in Northern Ireland and in 1998 after years of U.S. engagement, the “Good Friday Agreement” was signed, ending the conflict in Northern Ireland, thus establishing a “Northern Ireland Assembly.”