Laois officials to visit New York and Tennessee for St Patrick's Day

The Cathaoirleach and senior management in Laois County Council will be heading to the USA for St Patrick's Day.

Cllr Thomasina Connell and council staff are accepting invitations from the County Laois Association in New York, and the town of Franklin, Tennessee which is twinned with Portlaoise, to visit them for a week this spring.

Cllr Connell confirmed she will be joining the delegation, at the January meeting of Laois County Council. 

The traditional annual trips, funded by the taxpayer, normally include meetings with staff at the IDA Ireland, Failte Ireland and Enterprise Ireland offices in New York, to promote Laois for business and tourism.

Mike Dunphy, President of the Laois Association of New York sent the invitation to Cllr Connell and council officials, to join them in the parade on March 17.

"We view St Patrick's Day parade in New York as an excellent opportunity for both the Laois Members of New York and the Laois County Council Officials from Ireland to meet and renew old ties and make new acquaintances. The occasion also provides the opportunity for the Laois officials to renew and develop contacts with various agencies based in New York such as governmental agencies, trade groups and tourist boards," Mr Dunphy said in his invitation. 

The Tennessee invitation was issued by the Mayor of the City of Franklin, Dr Ken Moore, to Cllr Connell and her delegation, to visit Franklin and Williamson County, from March 19 to 22.

"We look forward to a special relationship moving forward and will be looking for how to expand the opportunities for each entity," he said.

In return, Laois councillors have agreed to send an invitation to Franklin officials to visit Laois this September.

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Franklin and Laois were first twinned in 2008, with the relationship renewed at the invite of Franklin in 2021, with several trips over and back since, most recently when students from Franklin High School visited Laois last summer.

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The twinning of Franklin with Laois initially formed out of the O’ More – Ireland Summer College Programme, held in Abbeyleix for some years. It was led by Ms Marianne Moloney, Mr Kevin O’ Brien and Dr Mark Hilliard of the O’ More College of Design in Franklin.