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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Each year, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March |
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17, and this occasion provides a welcome opportunity to honor the |
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origins of the event and to highlight the many contributions that |
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individuals of Irish descent have made to the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Born into a wealthy Romano-British family in the 4th |
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century, St. Patrick was kidnapped at the age of 16 by Irish raiders |
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and taken captive to the Emerald Isle; according to his writings, |
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divine intervention allowed him to escape, and he entered the |
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priesthood soon after; he later returned to Ireland and spent |
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nearly 30 years teaching the island's residents about his faith, |
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thereby becoming the principal champion of Irish Christianity in |
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legend and folklore; St. Patrick's Day, which commemorates the day |
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of his death in 461, has become a celebration of Irish heritage |
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around the world, and in recent decades the government of Ireland |
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has made the observance a centerpiece of its efforts to showcase the |
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country and its culture; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the earliest Irish residents of Texas was |
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Hugh O'Connor, who served as governor of the Spanish territory from |
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1767 to 1770; natives of Ireland also played a central role in the |
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settlement of Texas in the early 1800s, including empresarios James |
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McGloin, John McMullen, and James Power, who brought dozens of |
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Irish families to South Texas and the Gulf Coast; and |
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WHEREAS, All three of these men participated in the Texas |
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Revolution, as did Irishmen such as John Joseph Linn, Francis |
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Moore, Jr., and Thomas William Ward; a dozen individuals from the |
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Emerald Isle died defending the Alamo, and 100 Irish-born troops |
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helped win the independence of Texas in the decisive Battle of San |
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Jacinto; and |
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WHEREAS, The number of immigrants from Ireland grew |
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dramatically in the mid-1800s, and several prominent Irish natives |
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made their mark during that period; Samuel McKinney was an early |
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president of Austin College, Father Michael Sheehan established the |
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first Catholic church in Austin and became one of the first |
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full-time Catholic chaplains in the U.S. Army, and Peter Gallagher |
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served as a Texas Ranger and helped organize Pecos County; later in |
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the 19th century, Irishman John William Mallet served as the first |
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faculty chair at The University of Texas at Austin, and artist Henry |
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Arthur McArdle produced many famous paintings inspired by Texas |
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history, some of which now hang in the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, With the passing decades, additional people from |
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Ireland found a new home in Texas, and they and the descendents of |
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previous immigrants have had an enduring influence on the state's |
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lifestyle and development; today, Irish culture is celebrated in |
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formal programs such as the Center for Irish Studies at the |
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University of St. Thomas in Houston, as well as in statewide |
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St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and it is appropriate to join in |
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recognizing the significant role that Irish Americans have played |
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in the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the state's vital Irish heritage |
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and extend Happy St. Patrick's Day wishes to all Irish Americans. |
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Murphy |
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Fallon |
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Straus |
M. Gonzalez of El Paso |
Oliveira |
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Allen |
N. Gonzalez of El Paso |
Orr |
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Anderson |
Gutierrez |
Patrick |
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Aycock |
Harper-Brown |
Perry |
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Bell |
Hernandez Luna |
Phillips |
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Bonnen of Brazoria |
Hilderbran |
Pitts |
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Bonnen of Galveston |
Howard |
Price |
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Capriglione |
Keffer |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
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Carter |
King of Hemphill |
Rodriguez of Travis |
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Clardy |
King of Parker |
Rose |
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Coleman |
King of Taylor |
Sanford |
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Collier |
King of Zavala |
Schaefer |
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Cortez |
Klick |
Sheffield of Bell |
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Craddick |
Kolkhorst |
Sheffield of Coryell |
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Crownover |
Kuempel |
Simpson |
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Davis of Dallas |
Lavender |
Springer |
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J. Davis of Harris |
Leach |
Stephenson |
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S. Davis of Harris |
Lewis |
Stickland |
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Dutton |
Lucio III |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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Eiland |
Marquez |
Thompson of Harris |
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Fallon |
Martinez Fischer |
Turner of Collin |
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Farias |
McClendon |
Turner of Harris |
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Farney |
Menendez |
Turner of Tarrant |
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Fletcher |
Miller of Comal |
Villarreal |
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Flynn |
Miller of Fort Bend |
Vo |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 356 was adopted by the House on February |
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28, 2013, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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