Town Twinning

Town Twinning is a long-term partnership to help to foster a spirit of cooperation between County Longford and various countries, cities, communities and schools. Longford County Council endeavours to support and encourage these partnership, through which many cultural, educational, business, and technical exchanges take place. The latest Longford County Council Twinning Policy was adopted in December 2022. 

County Longford Town Twinning arrangements include:

• Ballinamuck and Essert, France
• Longford Town and Noyal-Châtillon sur Seiche, Brittany France
• Ballymahon and Landévant, France
• Granard town and East Rouen in Normandy, France
  
  

Ballinamuck and Essert, France

The twinning between Ballinamuck and Essert took place in May 1997 as a way to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Battle of Ballinamuck, the last battle of the 1798 Rebellion. 

The relationship between the two areas has developed through the years with many joint projects and visits. This work focused on the young people of each area, with each visit now including a youth project where the young people work together. Projects over the years have focused on the environment, upcycling, creating musical instruments, cooking, work experience, growing vegetables and much more. The continued dedication of the twinning committees and the help of host families is credited with this twinning agreement's success.

For more information, visit the Ballinamuck Essert Twinning official website. See also the Ballinamuck Town Twinning 2023 Report.

Longford Town and Noyal-Châtillon-Sur-Seiche, France

Longford Town and Noyal-Châtillon-Sur-Seiche were officially twinned in 1998. Since then, over 2,000 young people and adults have been involved in exchange programmes, hosted by local families. Through these many visits, people from both Longford Town and Noyal-Châtillon-Sur-Seiche have had many authentic, first-hand experiences of another culture. These are unique opportunities, opening up new ways of life, particularly for school students.

To mark the twentieth anniversary of the twinning, a sculpture was presented by visitors from Noyal-Châtillon-Sur-Seiche in 2018. It now sits proudly in Longford Town's Remembrance Garden on Great Water Street. 

Ballymahon and Landévant, France   

Ballymahon and Landévant Town Twinning was signed with ceremonies in Ballymahon in 2001 and in Landévant in 2002. The twinning idea originated in 1999 with the planting of a tree by a visiting group from Landévant at St Colmcille's Boys School in Ballymahon.

Many cultural, educational and social exchanges have taken place since with visits each year to either Ballymahon or Landévant. These visits have given people from both areas a chance to meet new people, show off their locality and their hospitality, and share in one another culture and traditions. There has also been plenty of laughter and forging of friendships. Student exchange and house exchange have also taken place. 

Read the Report of activities of Ballymahon 2023.

Granard and East Rouen, France

This newest twinning agreement between Granard and East Rouen was officially signed in September 2021. East Rouen is in Normandy, northern France. Both Granard and East Rouen have a shared Norman history. Risteárd de Tiúit, born in East Rouen, arrived in Ireland in the eleventh century with a Norman army, travelling to Granard and building the famous Motte and Bailey at the area's highest point. 

The signing of this official twinning agreement took place in the residence of the French Ambassador Vincent Guérend in Dublin. It was attended by then Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Peggy Nolan and Chief Executive Paddy Mahon, as well as members of the Granard Twinning Committee. East Rouen delegates visited Granard. In September 2022, a Longford delegation visited East Rouen to build ties with the people of East Rouen. 

You can read the Granard Town Twinning Association 2023 Report and the following Granard welcomed 30 visitors from East Rouen piece.

Town Twinning workshop in CO:WORX

A Town Twinning workshop day was help in CO:WORX in Edgeworthstown in May 2023. Organised by Longford County Council and our Longford Tourism team, the day was all about developing and managing twinning committee and future events with our twinned towns, including Ballinamuck and Essert, Longford Town and Noyal-Châtillon-Sur-Seiche, Ballymahon and Landévant, and Granard and East Rouen.