ARKLOW TO CELEBRATE 35 YEARS OF TWINNING WITH CHATEAUDUN
ON Thursday May 17, Arklow Twinning Association will welcome 24 visitors from Châteaudun and 4 from Aberystwyth for a four-day celebration of 35 years of twinning with Châteaudun. Mayor Alain Venot will lead the delegation of Le Comité de Jumelage de Châteaudun.
The group will be welcomed with a civic reception hosted by Arklow Municipal District. A tour of Servier Pharmaceutical factory will be one of the highlights for our French friends.
Visits to Avoca Handweavers, the Wicklow mountains and Russborough House will showcase some of County Wicklow’s tourist attractions. Nearer to home, Châteaudun Promenade on the Riverwalk will be the place for some photos and a moment to enjoy the ceramic tile project.
Arklow Municipal District Chambers will be the venue for what should be a lively interactive discussion - eight representatives of Arklow Social Inclusion Network will exchange their knowledge and experience with an equal number of Châteaudun speakers on the subject ‘Social Inclusion and the European Dimension’.
An interpreter will facilitate this informal discussion.
On different days, the twinning groups will savour local cuisine with lunch in the Broken Chair café, and at both Arklow Golf Club and Woodenbridge Golf Club.
Arklow Library will host a seminar on the Saturday morning. The theme is ‘How can twinning improve our knowledge and understanding of European values at local level?’
This seminar will be attended by all our visitors and should generate some very interesting ideas. Then, an example of twinning in action: two Châteaudun students on a month’s work experience in Arklow, will give a powerpoint presentation comparing their impressions of life in Arklow and Châteaudun.
On Sunday May 20, the highlight of the four-day visit will be a Gala Dinner and Concert in the Arklow Bay Hotel.
This promises to be a wonderful evening featuring an excellent dinner followed by performances by Arklow Pipe Band, Trish Kavanagh’s traditional musicians, a group of Irish dancers, three brilliant singers, Erin Connolly, Ella Healy and Brielli Finn and a grand finale by East Coast Jazz Band.
Tickets at €25 are available from reception in the Arklow Bay Hotel.