ByRepresentatives Fitzgibbon, Santos, Cody, Berry, Callan, Orwall, Chapman, Wicks, Thai, Walen, Ryu, Dolan, Pollet, Duerr, Valdez, Harris-Talley, Dufault, Gregerson, Morgan, Leavitt, Simmons, and Young

WHEREAS, On March 17th, during the annual celebration of the Feast of Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, Irish Americans join with men, women, and children of all other ethnic origins who, for one day, become Irish and celebrate Patrick and love Ireland; and

WHEREAS, On Saint Patrick's Day, all who wear green live for a day in the spirit of Saint Patrick, Bridget, and Columcille whose 1500th anniversary was in the last year; and

WHEREAS, Irish immigrants to the United States helped form the cultural foundation of the nation and those of Irish lineage today proudly sing support for Ireland; and

WHEREAS, The first documented Irish presence in the State of Washington dates to the expeditions of Captain Vancouver and the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery; and

WHEREAS, Spokane has the second highest percentage of Irish ancestry of any major city in the United States; and

WHEREAS, We celebrate the establishment of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus with its aim of fostering and strengthening the longstanding relationship that exists between the United States of America and Ireland to the mutual benefit of both countries with leadership in all 50 states; and

WHEREAS, The songs of Ireland are the tragic songs of love and the joyous songs of battle: The nostalgic reveries of the sorrows and the glories that are the Emerald Isle; and the lamentations of life's myriad travails and the odes to joy and the life eternal;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commemorate the celebration of the Feast of St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Senator Mark Daly, chair of the Senate of Ireland, which on this year celebrates its 100th anniversary of the National Co-Chairs of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus, Speaker Robin Vos of Wisconsin, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy of New Jersey, Representative Killian Timoney of Kentucky, Representative Fran Hurley of Illinois, Senator Shannon O'Brien of Montana, and Senator Mia Costello of Alaska.