From 10 to 15 July, Skerries Town Twinning hosted 24 visitors from Brittany. Activities included a tour of the new library and an exchange of books. We held a seminar in Prosper Fingal entitled “Building Community” with contributions from Jane Landy (Skerries Community Association), Miriam Carroll (Forget-Me-Not Café), Breda Shankey (Tidy Towns), Dave Beattie (SYSS), Catherine McMahon (CPR/AED), Stephanie Bourke (Skerries Historical Society), John Coleman (Rockabill Film Society and the Trishaw Initiative). Máire Jones gave an insight into her own volunteering activities. Philippe Gourronc from Guichen presented a very interesting look at comparable services available in France.  

Sunday, and another fine sunny day, marked a visit to the Battle of the Boyne centre, at Oldbridge. Coincidentally, it was the 12th July, the day of the famous battle.   A tour of the gardens, an audio-visual presentation and a picnic made for an interesting day.  

Monday provided another interesting excursion – thanks to Fingal County Council the visitors and hosts were welcomed to the newly restored Bremore Castle in Balbriggan. Kevin Halpenny provided a very interesting talk on the Castle followed by a walking tour of our neighbour’s historical heritage.  

In the evening, the weather provided a stunning background for a celebration dinner in Skerries Sailing Club.  To add to the atmosphere a group of local musicians, led by Carol Keane, and local dancers featuring world champion Seoidín Handibode provided entertainment for a great evening. 

Tuesday morning saw the group heading to Dublin for a visit to Leinster House.  This had been organised for us by Deputy Rob O’Donoghue, who was our host for the morning. An added surprise, was an unexpected encounter with Michel Barnier (former Prime Minister of France).  Following the visit, the French visitors took the opportunity to explore Dublin’s historical and shopping areas. Our friends returned home on Wednesday 15 August.

On Wednesday 2 September we held a social gathering in Skerries Harps which was attended by over 30 people including most of our host families. 

A great weekend was had with the visit of our French friends once again – all lovely encounters in gorgeous weather. The teamwork from the committee all worked out very well. Many thanks is due to all our host families.

Text and photo credit: Town Twinnning