H.R. No. 820

	R E S O L U T I O N
	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 González Paddie
	Allen Guerra Parker
	Alonzo Guillen Paul
	Alvarado Gutierrez Peña
	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 Márquez 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 Muñoz, Jr. White of Tyler
	Frullo Murphy Workman
	Galindo Murr Wray
	Geren Naishtat Wu
	Giddings Nevárez 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