TITLE: Commemorating St. Patrick's Day and honoring the contributions that individuals of Irish descent have made to the State of Texas.

SUMMARY: Commemorating St. Patrick's Day and honoring the contributions that individuals of Irish descent have made to the State of Texas.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Each year, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, and this occasion provides a welcome opportunity to honor the origins of the event and to highlight the many contributions that individuals of Irish descent have made to the Lone Star State; and WHEREAS, Born into a wealthy Romano-British family in the 4th century, St. Patrick was kidnapped at the age of 16 by Irish raiders and taken captive to the Emerald Isle; according to his writings, divine intervention allowed him to escape, and he entered the priesthood soon after; he later returned to Ireland and spent nearly 30 years teaching the island's residents about his faith, thereby becoming the principal champion of Irish Christianity in legend and folklore; St. Patrick's Day, which commemorates the day of his death in 461, has become a celebration of Irish heritage around the world, and in recent decades the government of Ireland has made the observance a centerpiece of its efforts to showcase the country and its culture; and WHEREAS, One of the earliest Irish residents of Texas was Hugh O'Connor, who served as governor of the Spanish territory from 1767 to 1770; natives of Ireland also played a central role in the settlement of Texas in the early 1800s, including empresarios James McGloin, John McMullen, and James Power, who brought dozens of Irish families to South Texas and the Gulf Coast; and WHEREAS, All three of these men participated in the Texas Revolution, as did Irishmen such as John Joseph Linn, Francis Moore Jr., and Thomas William Ward; a dozen individuals from the Emerald Isle died defending the Alamo, and 100 Irish-born troops helped win the independence of Texas in the decisive Battle of San Jacinto; and WHEREAS, The number of immigrants from Ireland grew dramatically in the mid-1800s, and several prominent Irish natives made their mark during that period; Samuel McKinney was an early president of Austin College, Father Michael Sheehan established the first Catholic church in Austin and became one of the first full-time Catholic chaplains in the U.S. Army, and Peter Gallagher served as a Texas Ranger and helped organize Pecos County; later in the 19th century, Irishman John William Mallet served as the first faculty chair at The University of Texas at Austin, and artist Henry Arthur McArdle produced many famous paintings inspired by Texas history, some of which now hang in the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, With the passing decades, additional people from Ireland found a new home in Texas, and they and the descendents of previous immigrants have had an enduring influence on the state's lifestyle and development; today, Irish culture is celebrated in formal programs such as the Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, as well as in statewide St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and it is appropriate to join in recognizing the significant role that Irish Americans have played in the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the state's vital Irish heritage and extend Happy St. Patrick's Day wishes to all Irish Americans. Murphy Straus Gonz lez Paddie Allen Guerra Parker Alonzo Guillen Paul Alvarado Gutierrez Pe a Anchia Harless Phelan Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phillips Anderson of McLennan Herrero Pickett Ashby Howard Price Aycock Huberty Raney Bell Hughes Raymond Bernal Hunter Reynolds Blanco Isaac Riddle Bohac Israel Rinaldi Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rodriguez of Bexar Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Travis Burkett Keffer Romero, Jr. Burns Keough Rose Burrows King of Hemphill Sanford Button King of Parker Schaefer Canales King of Taylor Schofield Capriglione King of Uvalde Schubert Clardy Klick Shaheen Coleman Koop Sheets Collier Krause Sheffield Cook Kuempel Simmons Craddick Landgraf Simpson Crownover Larson Smith Cyrier Laubenberg Smithee Dale Leach Spitzer Darby Longoria Springer Davis of Dallas Lozano Stephenson Davis of Harris Lucio III Stickland Deshotel M rquez Thompson of Brazoria Dukes Martinez Thompson of Harris Dutton Martinez Fischer Tinderholt Elkins McClendon Turner of Collin Faircloth Metcalf Turner of Harris Fallon Meyer Turner of Tarrant Farias Miles VanDeaver Farney Miller of Comal Villalba Farrar Miller of Fort Bend Vo Fletcher Moody Walle Flynn Morrison White of Bell Frank Mu oz, Jr. White of Tyler Frullo Murphy Workman Galindo Murr Wray Geren Naishtat Wu Giddings Nev rez Zedler Goldman Oliveira Zerwas Gonzales Otto Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 820 was adopted by the House on March 12, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House