Spotted: Drew Combs in Galway, Menlo Park’s sister city
It’s been a tale of two sister cities in a matter of days. First there was Jenna Lee’s good account of her experience in Bizen, Japan — and now word of Mayor Drew Comb’s visit to Galway.
Writes Drew: “Met with Galway Mayor Mike Cubbard to discuss the value of the sister city connection between Galway and Menlo Park. It was also a pleasure presenting the mayor with a pottery bowl made at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park.
“Menlo Park traces its roots to two immigrants from Galway. Sadly, they didn’t bring with them the tradition of the mayor wearing bling! We also made it to the sister city sign.”
Photo courtesy of Drew Combs
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Willows neighborhood August 02, 2025 at 12:44 am
This is great to see! As an Irish-American living in Menlo Park would like to greater resources to celebrate and highlight our rich history. The Historian Jeffrey Burns writes: “The most important immigrants in early San Francisco were the Irish. By 1856, more than 6,000 foreign born Irish, comprising 12% of the city’s population, had arrived in San Francisco, growing to over 30,000 by 1870. By 1880, foreign born Irish and Americans of Irish descent accounted for 33% of the city’s population…Irish filled the ranks of the police and fire departments and provided a significant portion of the city’s civil service employees.” These numbers translated quickly into power with plenty of Irish assuming leadership roles in public service and business, as well as with religious institutions and in the private sector.