Providence group welcomed on twinning visit to Athlone

By Rebekah O'Reilly

A new chapter in international friendship and collaboration was marked in Athlone over the weekend as a delegation from Providence, Rhode Island, arrived to celebrate its official twinning with the town.

A total of twelve representatives from Providence visited Athlone for the bank holiday weekend which included the hosting of the annual Féile na Sionainne and the Athlone River Festival.

Among the visiting delegation was Providence City Councilwoman and President of the Athlone/Providence Twinning Committee, Jo-Ann Ryan; attorney Thomas J Ryan; Rhode Island State Representative Mary Duffy Messier; and Athlone native Patrick Griffin, liaison to the Providence Twinning Committee.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley was unable to attend, due to prior commitments, and extended his apologies for his absence.

The group was warmly welcomed with a dinner on Thursday, followed by an official reception in the Athlone council chamber on Friday afternoon.

During the event, Mayor of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, Cllr Vinny McCormack, presented a scroll to Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan to formally commemorate the twinning of the two towns.

"It is my great pleasure to formally welcome you all to Athlone on your first official visit as our twinning partner. We are truly honoured by your presence in our town – a town steeped in history, heritage, and culture," said Mayor McCormack as he welcomed the distinguished guests from Providence.

"There's an old Irish saying you might be familiar with: 'Ní neart go cur le chéile' - there is no strength without unity. That spirit of unity is exactly what brings us together today.

"Our homes, of Athlone and Providence, may be separated by a vast ocean, an ocean which has been witness to voyages of the ancestors of many of you here, but we are united by shared values, shared friendships, and shared hopes."

He acknowledged the growing ties already being put in place between the two communities.

"The partnership between Providence College and TUS in Athlone enriches students on both sides of the Atlantic. It's not just an academic exchange – it's a bridge of cultural understanding and mutual respect."

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, Patrick Griffin, Providence Twinning Liaison and a native of Ballydangan, expressed his pride in the twinning of the two areas.

"I can't tell you how excited I am," he said. "I saw the new council signs on our way into Athlone marking the twinning with Providence, and it honestly brought a tear to my eye."

Mr Griffin, who has lived in Rhode Island for over 33 years, reflected on the long journey to this milestone.

"We finally made the twinning happen. This is so special. John Henson and I have worked together for the last two to three years, along with both councils in Athlone and Providence. To see it become a reality is just unbelievable."

Looking ahead, he shared his enthusiasm for building stronger ties between the two communities. "We can't wait to get our tourism board and chamber of commerce up and running to start encouraging people to visit both Providence and Athlone."

Providence City Councilwoman and President of the Providence Twinning Committee, Jo-Ann Ryan credited Mr Henson and Mr Griffin for their role in cementing the bond between the two towns.

"John and Patrick have been building a relationship for the past 13 years. John runs the St Patrick's Day parade in Athlone, and Patrick runs the Providence parade.

"They have been operating together, and John has brought over a group of the military police to Providence for our parade for a number of years, which was our first foray into building a relationship."

Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan highlighted the strong parallels between Athlone and Providence, saying “we have a lot in common.”

Looking to the future, she expressed optimism about how the growing partnership would develop.

“This is going to be a great relationship, and this visit marks the beginning of many years of building on that connection,” she said.

"As I walked around (Athlone) I noticed the pedestrian bridge and the river which runs through. We've got the same situation in Providence, and we just recently built a pedestrian bridge that has joined both sides of the city. The importance of unify the two sides – we are sharing that experience, and it has become a central point of the city.

"Education, the arts, sustainability — we have a lot in common. Green initiatives are a big focus, and I’m incredibly impressed by the efforts underway in Athlone," Councilwoman Ryan commented.