Council delegation return after successful twinning anniversary trip to Cleveland

The Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Michael Loftus, and a delegation from Mayo County Council have returned from a successful trip to Cleveland in the USA to mark the 20th anniversary of the twinning between Achill Island and the city in Ohio

The twinning celebration was marked by a 20th-anniversary event at the West Side Irish American Club on Saturday evening last, October 28.

Cllr Loftus emphasised the importance of the delegation's work on the trip, stating: “Engaging with our diaspora is one of our most vital roles as councillors. Our diaspora has achieved remarkable success in the realms of business, academia, and society, and they hold Mayo dear in their hearts. We are fortunate that they can open doors for us to showcase the county as a fantastic place to live, visit, work, and invest.”

The delegation had a packed itinerary during their visit to Cleveland, engaging with high-ranking government officials in Ohio, including Mayor of Cleveland Justin Bibb, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, County Council President Pernell Jones, and other council members from Cuyahoga County. They also met with the Honorary Irish Council General, Mark Owens, and Global Cleveland Executive Director, Joe Cimperman.

Members of the Mayo County Council delegation, from left: Cllr Cyril Burke, Cllr Michael Loftus, Cllr Brendan Mulroy and Austin Vaughan, County Librarian, made a presentation of the new book from Máirtín G. Ó Maicín, 'On This Day in Mayo' to Mayor of Cleveland, Justin Bibb, at the function in Cleveland. Pic: Mayo County Council

The delegation explored the connections between Achill and Cleveland, touring Irish sites in the city, such as the Achill Twinning Rock, the Famine Memorial, the Johnny Kilbane statue, and the Kilbane family home. They also had a meeting with the Irish Town Bend Project Committee, where they received a presentation on the project's plans.

The trip included a three-day display of the Chambers Collection, a collection of Civil War-era letters, some of which originated in Cleveland and were discovered in an old shed near Newport by local man Pat Chambers. The collection was exhibited in three different city centre locations during the trip, courtesy of the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide.

During the trip, the Cathaoirleach also made an appearance on the popular Quinn Irish Radio show. Gerry Quinn, the show's host, was honoured by Mayo County Council in September for his years of dedication to fostering and promoting links between Mayo and Cleveland.