FERMOY-PLOEMEUR TWINNING – CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP AND CO-OPERATION
Any initiative to increase the relationships between peoples and nations must only be good. Twinning of towns from different countries is one such initiative and the idea has been around for many years. This establishes a deeper experience than that which tourism confers; tourism has its place and purpose, and has many different levels, but twinning has something more. It offers social and personal relationships between the citizens of the respective towns and communities. It encourages cooperation opportunities in education,
language, music and dance, agriculture and businesses and many other areas. Sporting and other clubs can be linked to their mutual benefit.
In 1981 the Fermoy Town Council approved a motion by the late councillor John Guinevan, that the town would seek a twinning partner town in Brittany. The Town Clerk, Mr. Andy McCarthy, made contact with the European Commission leading to a visit by a Mr. Polig Monjarret to see if Fermoy might be interested in Ploemeur as a twin.
This led to visits to each town by delegations from the other in 1982. The Irish group consisting of John Guinevan, Andy McCarthy and Tim Sheehan made a ‘flying’ visit to Ploemeur. They travelled by car and ferry to Le Havre, but underestimating the time it took to drive from Le Havre ferry terminal to Ploemeur and back. They were enthusiastically received, even though it was after midnight when they arrived. A quick tour of Ploemeur and then a dash back to Le Havre, arriving just as the ferry was about to depart.
The twinning charter was duly signed in Fermoy on 23 April, 1983 by Michael Godard and chairman, Councillor Tadhg O’Donovan and in Ploemeur on 7 May, 1983 by M. Michael Godard, Mayor of Ploemeur and Councillor John Murphy, who was then chairman of Fermoy UDC.
SCHOOL EXCHANGE
Between 1983 and 1997 student exchanges took place between the two towns. This was usually for about two weeks, with a group going to Ploemeur each year, and a group being welcomed from Ploemeur the same year, giving time for the students of each community to interact together. This was usually in the area of games, tours, talks and presentations, as well a social events and music. Eventually interest in the student exchange declined and in 1998 it was decided to discontinue the scheme.
TWINNING VISITS
The principle twinning activity is a week’s visit by a group from each community in alternate years, usually in the late Spring; Ploemeur to Fermoy one year and Fermoy to Ploemeur the following year. Initially there were two visits each year, but this quickly became too onerous and the current arrangement became the norm.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In the years since the signing of the Charter, many different activities took place. In one year’s visit, a group of Fermoy ladies went to Ploemeur and learned the intricacies of French and Breton dishes. It was notable that the lack of a mutual language didn’t impede enjoyment and conviviality.
Another year, the history of Ireland and of the Fermoy district was given through a series of talks by local historians. The game of Pitch and Putt fascinated the French visitors, many of whom were keen golfers; such a game did not exist in their country. This led to a pitch and putt course being set up in Ploemeur, probably the first in France.
Music and dance very soon became an essential activity in the twinning. Over the years many different exchanges, workshops and recitals have taken place. Important, even essential as such formal programmes may be, the less formal performances of Ciaran O’Connor and Gerry Feerick, frequently joined by other musicians, have provided the musical core and consistency of the twinning during the visits.
Many various topics have been discussed and explained by tours, lectures and presentations. These covered such topics as comparisons of systems of government; industries, particularly smaller native enterprise; the ‘ Troubles’ in Northern Ireland; experiences of the people of Ploemeur during the Second World War and many other topics.
PHYSICAL MARKS OF TWINNING
In 2000, the Mayor of Ploemeur M. Loic Le Meur and chairman of Fermoy UDC, Mr Tadhg O’Donovan, with a delegation from Fermoy and Ploemeur twinning committee, inaugurated the Esplanade de Fermoy in Ploemeur. Quoting M. Le Meur ‘Through this event we want to consolidate and strengthen the ties that have united our two communities since 1982’.
This was then followed in 2001 by the inauguration of the ‘ Friendship Bridge/
Pont de I’Amitié/ Droichead na gCarad/Pont ar Mignonned’ and of the Ploemeur Car Park in honour of the twin town. Present were M. Le Meur and Mr John Hussey, chairman of Fermoy UDC at that time. It was to take place the previous year, but an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease had restricted travel.
In 1998 in response to an invitation, a delegation from Fermoy took part in the Bonjour le Monde, in Lorient. Various local interests were represented, Teagasc, Silver Pail, Fiona Turley, the Village Arts Centre, craftsman Arthur Wilson, fish processor Raymond Carr, along with Councillors John Guinevan and Richie O’Leary and twinning committee Covid, of course interrupted the annual visits which are only resuming this year. The Fermoy group is going to Ploemeur in May.
THE FUTURE
Those who have participated in the twinning have no doubts as to its benefits and its enjoyment. At present its activities are largely social, and this is important and consistent with the principal purpose of twinning. There is plenty of room for more people to participate.
But twinning provides for much more. Some of the activities of previous years could be re-explored; local business has a ready source of contact into Britanny and France (Ploemeur is adjacent to the large city of Lorient) and similarly for Breton enterprises into Ireland; more use could be made of the educational opportunities which twinning provides.