Paper 296
Lecture – 2013
Author – McQuillan, Geraldine
A comprehensive history of the European Town Twinning Movement. Much like the EU, it was born from a desire for reconciliation and rebuilding of relationships after the disaster of WW2. First to twin were towns from France and the UK, not enemies in the War but deeply affected nonetheless. By 2008, it was estimated that 20,000 towns had been twinned. This paper is the story of two such towns, Skerries, County Dublin and Guichen in Brittany. The hard work of the volunteers overcame logistical, cultural and funding problems. To this day, both towns are closely linked and enjoy sharing each other’s cultural, sporting and music heritage.