Makers of Guinness Stout Take Plea to Washington - Request St. Patrick's Day Receive National Holiday Recognition

WASHINGTON, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- While presidential politics continue to be a point of debate, Americans of all ideologies have come together in a show of unity for Proposition 3-17, a national effort to make St. Patrick's Day an officially-recognized holiday in the United States. In just a few short weeks, a groundswell of public sentiment from all corners of the country generated more than a quarter million signatures in support of the proposal.

"We're proud to sponsor Proposition 3-17," said Richard Nichols of Diageo, makers of Guinness beer. "The widespread support for this initiative, which really appears to be across party lines, shows that Americans want to come together to celebrate a wonderful day and the Irish spirit that lives inside all of us."

Guinness stout is the iconic Irish stout and a strong supporter of celebrating St. Patrick's Day in a socially responsible way. Guinness Brewmaster Fergal Murray met Rep. Jim Crowley (D- NY) to discuss the idea of making St. Patrick's Day a national holiday, and presented him with Proposition 3-17 petition signatures. Murray had spent the past two weeks touring the U.S. to rally support for the cause.

"It was a true honor to meet Guinness Brewmaster Murray and see first-hand the great support across the nation for Proposition 3-17," said Congressman Crowley. "While celebrating St. Patrick's Day this year, I hope leaders from both sides of the aisle consider supporting a national holiday to celebrate Irish culture."

According to a recent survey of men and women 21 years of age and older, 54% of respondents with Irish ancestry plan to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year and almost a third of U.S. residents who don't claim Irish ancestry plan to celebrate St Patrick's Day as well. Proposition 3-17 calls on the nation's leaders to grant the wish of the many people around the country who desire to spend the day celebrating with family and friends.

The survey, commissioned by the makers of Guinness stout, also revealed that presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain are among the people men and women across the country would like to raise a pint with this St Patrick's Day.

Diageo, the makers of Guinness stout, are the industry leader in social responsibility advocacy and encourage those who do decide to celebrate with a pint on St. Patrick's Day to do so responsibly. The petition is only open to adults 21 and over, and supporters can continue to join the cause by logging onto http://www.Proposition317.com.

About GUINNESS(R) Stout

GUINNESS(R) stout enjoys a global reputation as a uniquely authentic Irish beer and the best-selling stout in the world. Famous for its dark color, creamy head and unique surge and settle, this distinctive beer has been brewed at the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland since 1759. More than 10 million glasses of GUINNESS beer are enjoyed every single day around the world, and 1.8 billion pints are sold every year. GUINNESS beer is available in 150 countries worldwide and is brewed in almost 50. The makers of GUINNESS stout also offer SMITHWICK'S Irish ale, Ireland's most popular ale, and HARP lager, whose name pays tribute to the GUINNESS logo and the national symbol of Ireland. Additional information about the GUINNESS brand can be found at http://www.guinness.com.

About the Survey

Conducted by Market Tools on behalf of the makers of Guinness stout with a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

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    Kerri Holt, Taylor            Erica J. Johnson, Diageo
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