Bill Text: TX SR17 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Welcoming Mayor James Collins and a delegation from Limerick, Ireland.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-01-16 - Reported enrolled [SR17 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SR17-Enrolled.html

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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