Sir, - It is surprising that John Connolly, in his otherwise informative Irishman's Diary (September 16th) about the Irish in Texas, did not mention the most important and enduring Irish colony - that of Refugio county and town in southern Texas.
Led by James Power of Co Wexford and James Hewetson of Co Kilkenny (Mexican-appointed impresarios), hundreds of families from south-east Ireland (mainly Wexford) settled in the abandoned Spanish mission of Our Lady of Refuge in 1834. Their descendants prospered, especially after oil and gas were discovered under their ranches, and today the O'Connors, O'Briens, Reillys, McGuills, Fagans and scores of other "Irish" families in Refugio County still live on their ancestral allotments. The O'Connors - whose founder was young Thomas O'Connor, James Power's nephew - built on the 4,000 acres of their original holding, until at one time they owned more than half-a-million acres.
Their Irish roots are precious to these people. They have erected a monument to Power and Hewetson in Refugio town and next month Refugio will be twinned with Ballygarrett, Co Wexford, the home parish of many of the 1834 migrants. Many Ballygarrett people are travelling to Refugio to join with their distant cousins in the twinning ceremonies. - Yours, etc.,
Kincora Avenue, Dublin 3.