A County Galway community group has received a €5,000 EU grant to help with its town twinning project.
Thanks to the efforts of Oranmore Community Development Group the town will be twinned with Clohars Fouesnant in France. It is just 50km away from Galway city’s twin town of Lorient.
Local MEP Jim Higgins (Ireland North West ) praised the local development group’s application. He lobbied in Brussels on behalf of it to secure the funding. Only one in five applications were successful, he stated.
The chairperson of the twinning committee, Geraldine Costello, contacted Mr Higgins in October to seek an update on their application which was made under the “Europe for Citizens” programme. The Fine Gael MEP made representations on the community group’s behalf.
Speaking from Strasbourg he congratulated the Oranmore Community Development Group on its application which he said was clearly of a high standard.
“This year, only 20 per cent of applications were successful. This is a testament to the standard of work being carried out by the Oranmore Community Development Group.”
Mr Higgins was involved in a twinning project in the past. He led the organising committee which pioneered the twinning between Ballyhaunis and Guilers in Brittany in 1984.
“It is projects like this that actually do an awful lot to bring Europeans together. I am absolutely delighted at the outcome for the Oranmore Community Development Group’s project,” he added.
He said groups who have applied for EU funding can contact his office should they require support in following up their application. He can be contacted through his website www.jimhiggins.ie
