San Jose welcomes sister-city delegation from Dublin

In Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday, the temperatures were in the high-30s with sleet and snow flurries. The conditions in San Jose were just a tad warmer with morning showers and snow still capping Mt. Hamilton.

Dublin Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy said this was her first visit to San Jose and while she has seen the sun on the city’s logo, she had yet to see it in person.

”It was nice of you to arrange the weather like at home,” she said during a ceremony for the raising of the Ireland and Dublin flags that was moved into the City Hall Rotunda because of the rain.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan welcomed the Irish visitors with a good attempt at “good morning” in Gaelic, conceding that his Irish ancestors would probably not think much of it.

“For nearly my entire life, San Jose has had a special bond with Dublin,” said Mahan, who was 4 years old when the relationship was established in 1986 under then-Mayor Tom McEnery. “Our collaboration on economic development, the arts, education, sports, civic affairs and local government has made both our cities stronger.”

While Dublin is the tech center of Ireland — PayPal, Google and Facebook all have offices there — Mahan said the parallels don’t stop there.

“We also face many of the same challenges, the high cost of housing, homelessness, and investing in and supporting our youth. It’s vital that we share solutions on what works and collaborate on a better future for our respective cities,” he said.

This is the first time a delegation from San Jose’s sister city in Ireland Dublin has visited Silicon Valley since 2019. A trip planned for San Jose officials to Dublin was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group, which arrived Tuesday, will take part in a number of activities this week, including meetings with business leaders and community groups.

Micheál Smith, the consul general of Ireland based in San Francisco, was also at Wednesday’s ceremony — and also remarked on how the weather the past three months has made him feel right at home.

On Saturday morning, Conroy and Mahan will deliver remarks before the start of the Shamrock Run, a 5K run/walk through downtown San Jose that serves as an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration and raises funds for the Patrick McMahon Scholarship Program.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the people of San Jose while I’m here, especially at the Shamrock Run,” Conroy said. “We’re looking forward to enjoying and celebrating our national holiday with you all on the streets of San Jose.”