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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 Moore |
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Jr., and Thomas William Ward; a dozen individuals from the Emerald |
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Isle died defending the Alamo, and 100 Irish-born troops helped win |
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the independence of Texas in the decisive Battle of San 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, Today, Irish culture is celebrated in formal |
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programs such as the Center for Irish Studies at the University of |
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St. Thomas in Houston, as well as in statewide St. Patrick's Day |
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celebrations, and it is appropriate to join in recognizing the |
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significant role that Irish Americans have played in the story of |
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the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th 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. |