Formal ties are forged at a special ceremony as Dún Laoghaire is twinned with the Welsh island of Anglesey.
Anne Brady Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Borough Council and her colleagues are welcomed at Holyhead by a Welsh contingent lead by Councillor William Ioan Thomas, the Mayor of Anglesey.
The connections between Dún Laoghaire and the island of Anglesey go back to the Steam Packet Company days of the 19th century. Councillor Thomas says that for the people of Anglesey the formal twinning is,
Building what has always been a close connection over the centuries really, between the people of Dún Laoghaire and the people of Anglesey and we are hoping to blossom from that.
Anne Brady hopes to encourage people from Anglesey to make day trips and take mini-breaks in Dún Laoghaire so they can avail of it’s many amenities. However she believes it is vital the ferry service between Holyhead and Dún Laoghaire is maintained.
It is hoped that the twinning committee will facilitate cultural or business exchanges between groups in Dún Laoghaire and Anglesey.
At specially convened meeting of the Isle of Anglesey County Council in Llangefni, the formal twinning ceremony took place. A similar ceremony took place in Dún Laoghaire Town Hall in 1986.
In his address, Councillor Thomas says the main purpose of the twinning is
To broaden horizons and to share experiences, exchange ideas and discuss common problems, but the most important in my mind, is to promote international friendship by visiting each other’s community as often as possible.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 November 1987. The reporter is Kevin McDonald.
