French ambassador to Ireland Jean-Pierre Thébault paid tribute to the cultural strength and uniqueness of Galway during a visit to the Galway Advertiser offices last Thursday.
Mr Thébault was in the city to welcome Catherine Gagneux as the new French honorary consul in Galway and to receive a book of condolence signed by hundreds of people after last month’s attacks in Paris.
During his visit, he paid tribute to the people of Galway for their solidarity after the attacks on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in Paris.
During his visit to the newspaper, where he was hosted by the chairman Ronnie O’Gorman and group editor Declan Varley, and where he met journalists in the newsroom, Ambassador Thébault was fulsome in his admiration of Galway’s candidacy in the Capital of Culture bid.
His new honorary consul Catherine Gagneux has also offered to work with local arts groups in the city and county to ensure increased networking between local groups, festivals and community arts events in France.
