South Dakota Receives Flag Presentation from Irish Politician in Honor of US-Ireland Relations
TL/DR –
Irish Senator Mark Daly visited the South Dakota Senate and House as part of the American Irish State Legislature Caucus, aiming to build bipartisan relationships at local and state levels. Daly presented the Irish flag, which was flown 175 years prior when Thomas Francis Meagher first flew an Irish flag in Montana, to Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden and Speaker of the House Hugh Bartels. The visit highlighted the strong relationship between the U.S. and Ireland, particularly since Ireland became an independent republic in 1921, and the U.S.’s role in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
US-Ireland Relations Highlighted in South Dakota Legislature
US-Ireland relations took center stage in the South Dakota legislature as Irish Sen. Mark Daly, a guest of Senator Lee Schoenbeck, presented the Irish flag to Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden and Speaker of the House Hugh Bartels. Daly’s visit was part of the American Irish State Legislature Caucus, which promotes bipartisan relationships between Ireland and America.
“That flag was flown 175 years to the day when Thomas Francis Meagher first flew an Irish flag, in Montana,” Daly reminisced. Meagher was a key figure in Montana’s mid-1800s history, serving as the Territorial Governor.
Continued ribbing of lieutenant governor with gavel gifts including ‘Thor’s hammer’
Daly acknowledged the special bond between the U.S. and Ireland since it gained independence in 1921. He recognized the U.S.’s role in mediating the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which concluded a 30-year period of civil unrest in Northern Ireland.
In a nod to historical connections, Senator Ryan Maher revealed that Meagher was his triple-great grandfather. He fondly described Meagher as an Irish “rabble rouser” who had been arrested for his revolutionary actions, deported, and later immigrated to the U.S.
“Now all these years later, some of us are still playing politics,” Maher commented.
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