SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 17

WHEREAS, Visiting the State Capitol on January 16, 2019, is the Honorable James Collins, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick; and

WHEREAS, The purpose of Mayor Collins' trip is to establish a formal relationship with the City of Austin and the Limerick City and County Council; he is accompanied by representatives from the University of Limerick, the Limerick Institute of Technology, the Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership, the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, the Limerick Gaelic Athletic Association, and other senior business and community leaders; and

WHEREAS, Texas' link with Ireland dates back to the 18th century, when Hugo Oconór, one of the first Irish Texans, served as governor of Coahuila and Texas from 1767 to 1770; in the early 19th century, Irish families joined Stephen F. Austin's first colony and also settled in South Texas and along the Gulf Coast; Irish-born soldiers fought at the Alamo and with Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto, and four Irishmen signed the Texas Declaration of Independence; and

WHEREAS, In the mid-19th century, Irish immigrants played vital roles in the building of Texas' physical infrastructure and in its economic and social development; additionally, Irish natives Samuel McKinney, an early president of Austin College, and Father Michael Sheehan, who established the first Catholic Church in Austin, were prominent Texas residents; John William Mallet served as the first faculty chair at The University of Texas later in the century, and artist Henry Arthur McArdle specialized in paintings based on Texas history, several of which hang in the State Capitol; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of the economic, social, and cultural ties between Ireland and Texas, the Irish government opened a consulate general in Texas in 2015, becoming the only European Union member with a diplomatic mission located in the state's capital; Ireland is among the top 10 foreign investors in the United States, and trade between Texas and Ireland is at record levels; moreover, approximately two million Texans, representing eight percent of the state's population, claim Irish ancestry and are making their mark in both the public and private sectors; and

WHEREAS, Irish Texans have contributed immeasurably to the state's growth and vitality for hundreds of years, and the mayor's visit offers a fitting opportunity to recognize the deep and historic bonds that the people of Texas share with the people of Ireland; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th Legislature, hereby welcome the Honorable James Collins, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, and the delegation from Limerick to the State Capitol and join with them in celebrating the long-standing friendship that exists between Ireland and the Lone Star State; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for Mayor Collins as an expression of high regard by the Texas Senate. Bettencourt

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on January 16, 2019.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate